Road Trip
by WritingTheWorldAway
Summary: Bella and Edward are filing for divorce, but he wants one more chance to fix things. Can he do it?
1. Stoically Redress

**Hey guys! It's me again! ;)  
So, it's Edward X Bella this time, and I'm balancing two stories PLUS school. I think I have ADD or something. :P  
This is written for a friend of mine, Lea, because she like the idea of a groveling Edward (she has the potential of a Dominatrix, don't you think?)  
WARNING: I don't have a beta, so all the mistakes are mine ~ My other story, All Fall Down will be updated as soon as I talk to my beta, and my other other story, The World We Live In will be updated as frequently (or not frequently) as this one.  
Anyway, Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: _You've heard it all before. I don't on the characters, Stephenie Meyers does, unfortunately. However, everything else in the story 'Road Trip' is mine and I don't like to share. :P _**This disclaimer applies to the entire story and I will not write it again because it is burdensome. **

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Chapter One: **Divorce?**

**Edward's POv **

Edward Masen walked out of the conference room, loosening his grey-silver silk tie. His grip on his brief case was tighter than normal as he fought his rising anger at the way the meeting had gone. The company was trying to blackmail him into merging with them, and although he could easily refuse and stomp their names out of the business world forever, it aggravated him how corrupt and stupid businessmen were allowed to graduate business school and run rampant in the business world thinking that middle school tactics would work.

Victoria, his personal assistant looked up at him as he walked towards his office door.

"Tough meeting?" she asked. His emerald green eyes met her light green ones. He smiled and ran a hand through his coppery hair that never seemed to sit down. "Nothing I couldn't handle," he answered.

Victoria was truly an amazing assistant, they had worked together for almost 5 years, and she was a good friend to him now.

She glanced down at her computer screen, and looked back up at him, pushing her red silky hair away from her face. "Well," she said, her eyes meeting his. "You're free for the day. You can go home."

Edward narrowed his eyes a little. "Did you just clear my schedule because you think I'm stressed? I'm not stressed, Victoria. Things need to get done."

Victoria rose an eyebrow. "Why would I clear your schedule to give you more time with your _wife_?"

Victoria held more than contempt for Isabella Marie Swan-Masen, his wife of three years. Edward rubbed his face. That was more than his fault. He and Victoria had almost been a thing until he met Bella, and he knew that he couldn't be more than friends with Victoria anymore.

"Victoria…" Edward trailed off tiredly. He had this argument with her too many times to count. "I love Bella, and I'd rather you not talk about her that way."

Victoria narrowed her eyes, but looked away, not saying anything. "I'm going to be in my office for a bit," he answered. "I don't want to take any calls." Edward disappeared into his office and set his leather briefcase down by his desk. He took off his suit jacket and rolled the sleeves of his crisp white shirt up. He leaned back and closed his eyes, sighing.

A silver framed picture on his desk caught his eye. It was of him and Bella a couple of days after their wedding. He was wearing jeans and a white sweater, and she was wearing yoga pants and a pink top. He was almost never dressed that casually anymore, and neither was she. In the picture, his arms were around her, pulling her closely against him and he was kissing her neck. Her head was tilted to give him more room and her eyes were half closed. Her silky brown hair tumbled down her back, glinting in the sunlight. Her hands were clasped over his, but it was her smile – her wonderful smile – that held his attention. It was wide and happy and loving. _She didn't smile like that anymore_.

He frowned. Of course, he wouldn't really know since over the last year and a half, they had been drifting apart. Edward was out late and left early in the morning because of work and she didn't try to talk to him much anymore. In fact, they barely ever saw each other. The short while that he was home, she would be out exercising or something. She used to leave notes for him, but that had long stopped.

He always meant to take her out to dinner and reestablish the connection they had both felt when they met. But, there was always one more _important_ deal, or a super hard to find client and there was always _something_ to take care of and Edward constantly found himself drowning in work.

He was the CEO of Masen & Associates, a company he had inherited after his late father, and recently he had been wondering if the job was more than he could handle, but he couldn't walk away from it. He loved what he did.

The phone rang on his desk, pulling him out of his reverie. He picked it up. "Victoria, I thought I told you I didn't want calls." Victoria sighed. "The person said it was extremely important." Edward sighed and ran his hand through his hair again, leaning back.

"Alright," he answered. "Put them through."

The phone clicked as Victoria hung up and switched the lines, connecting him with the caller.

"Edward?" the high-pitched voice of his younger sister, Alice made him smile.

"You're the important person?" Edward asked sarcastically. If Alice had been near him, she would've hit him.

Alice's voice suddenly went soft. "Edward? Why are you still at work?"

Edward sighed and stood, sitting on his desk so he could face the window. "I have a couple of things to take care of here," Edward answered. "Why, what's the matter?"

Alice was silent for a moment. "Are you avoiding Bella?"

Edward tensed. "No, why would you think that?" he answered too quickly.

He could almost hear Alice biting her lip on the other end. "Edward, your marriage isn't going to get better is you stay at work all day doing nothing."

It was Edward's turn to bite his lip. "What are you talking about? My marriage is _fine_. And, I'm doing stuff at work! Bella understands that!" He sounded _way_ too defensive.

Alice sighed, sounding disappointed. "Alright," she answered. "I'm going out to eat with Jasper. I'll call you later."

"Okay," Edward answered before hanging up.

Was he avoiding Bella? Not possible. He loved her! He grabbed his suit jacket and pulled it on, determined that he was going to prove to himself as well as Bella that he was not avoiding her.

He was fixing his scarf as he walked out of his office. Victoria looked up, surprised. "Where are you off to?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Home," Edward answered nonchalantly. Victoria looked uninterested. "I just received an e-mail from Jacob Black about the pro-forma."

Edward nodded, turning to walk toward the elevator. "I'll e-mail it to you," Victoria called after him. "You need to look it over by tomorrow!"

Edward raised a hand in the air as the elevator door closed behind him, signaling that he heard her.

As he got into his black Nissan Altima, he wondered if he should bring home flowers. He decided against it when he realized he didn't have much gas left in his tank. He pulled into the garage of his small, two bedroom, one and a half bath home. The house was low and cozy, and situated perfectly in a quiet, private neighborhood.

He picked up the newspaper from the front mat before pulling out his keys and opening the door. Realizing that he was stalling, he took a deep breath and walked inside.

The house was dark despite the bright, winter light outside. He pulled open some curtains before returning to the closet by the front door to take off his coat and shoes. "Bella?" He cried although he suspected that she wasn't home. His suspicions were confirmed when no one answered.

He walked into the kitchen and noticed that Bella had left a casserole for him to warm up. He glanced at the fridge. No note.

He sighed and warmed up the casserole, then took it as well as a bottle of water to the front of the television to eat. He didn't know when he fell asleep on the couch.

When he woke up, the sun was already gone. He looked at his watch. 6:00. This is around the time when he would be walking into his office at work to sit down and work on contracts. Bella still wasn't home. He sighed, and walked into their room, sitting down at his laptop to look over the pro-forma.

Time passed before he had realized it and he heard the door downstairs opening as Bella came home. She walked up the stairs slowly, and he suddenly wondered if she was as apprehensive about seeing him as he was about seeing her. That thought disappeared as he caught sight of her limping into the bathroom, he frowned, worried. He followed her and knocked on the door politely, feeling more like a stranger than a husband. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

He cringed at the formality of her tone.

"Um, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"But, I saw you limping…"

"I'm fine, Edward. Go do whatever you were doing."

Edward bit his lip, then moved back into their bedroom, settling himself in front of his laptop again, yet unable to focus. Maybe Alice was right. Maybe his marriage had a little problems. He heard the shower click on in the bathroom and remembered the days that he had no problems walking in and showering with her. He doubted it would be the same now.

Bella emerged from the bathroom nearly half an hour later, her hair still wet, and Edward sucked in air at how truly beautiful she was. Her body was lean and firm from exercise and she had cut her hair a while ago, now it grazed her shoulders, making her look very chic.

He was turning thirty in three months, and she would be turning twenty-eight, but she looked like she was 18.

"Edward…" The way Bella spoke his name made him nervous. She was holding a large manila envelope in her hand.

"Yeah?" he answered slowly. Bella looked away from him.

"I-I am filing for divorce."

It was almost as if she had just punched him in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and he very nearly fell out of his chair.

"W-What?" he asked, completely stunned.

Bella looked pained, but she kept her back straight and plowed on. "Don't act surprised. Even you can see that this isn't working, Edward," she said slowly. "Look at us. We're strangers. We barely talk to each other, and when we do, it's only to say 'Excuse me', 'Thank you', 'Hello', or 'Goodbye'."

Edward was stunned. "Bella, we can work this out! I can come home earlier, and I can –"

Bella sighed cutting him off. "It's not working, Edward. It hasn't been for almost a year now. If it was going to work, it would have. I don't want you to try to fix it until you satisfy me enough to call off the divorce, only for things to fall back into," she paused looking for the right word. "_This_ again." She was biting back tears. He could hear it in her voice.

"Bella," Edward said softly, fighting tears of his own. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to do this. I," he paused, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "I want this to work out. I want _you_. Don't do this, Bella."

She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes. "No, Edward," she answered. "You don't want _me_. You want someone to hold on to your arm when you have to go out in public. You want an image of a wife. You don't want _me_."

It felt as if she had just kicked him squarely in the balls. How could she think that?

"How could you think that?" he cried, unable to keep his voice from rising.

"Face it, Edward," she said softly. "The only time you talk to me, or look at me and _really_ see me, is when we're out at a ball, or a dinner or an outing where your clients and other people are gathered. Other than that, I'm non-existent to you. You don't even want to come home anymore."

"Bella –"

She held up her hand and shook her head. "No, Edward," she said slowly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "If you want a pretty woman, you can take up Victoria. I've seen the way she looks at you. It won't be hard to replace my presence, especially since you spend so much time there anyway."

Edward angrily wiped away tears. "You think I'm cheating?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know you anymore." She looked away from him as he stood up and walked towards her, pressing himself against her and gently tugging on her chin until her watery, brown eyes met his green ones. "Then I'll get to know you again," he said softly. "Just please, please don't leave me."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't be a magazine wife. I want to be your wife, Edward, a _real_ one. Not one for show. I want to stay, but I know it'll never happen so I have to leave. I _have _to. I don't want your money, the house or your car. I won't take anything, I'm not asking for it. I'll just take my clothes and my car and head back to Forks. So please, Edward –"

"If you're going to ask me to let you go, I won't do it!" he said angrily.

Bella stared at him sadly for a moment, then handed him the envelope she had been holding, removing herself from his grip. "It's all here. Everything is done, Edward. All you have to do is sign it."

Then she walked away from him. Moments later he heard the door closing and her car starting up.

He might've stood there for minutes, hours, days. He didn't know. Only one thought ran through his head. _Bella wanted a divorce._

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So, I'm a little nervous. How do you think I did?**

**Did I mention? I LOVE reviews. (:**


	2. Impractically Attempt

**Sorry for the short entry (and wow, this one is short. I'm pretty disappointed in my sickly self..), and the extremely long wait!  
I'm sick, but I wanted to get this out.**

**PS. All errors are mine. I don't have a beta for this story. **

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The Proposal**

**Bella's POV**

As soon as she was out of Edward's presence, Bella allowed her shoulders to slump. She let out a heavy sigh as she walked into the guest bedroom that she had made her own. Tears pricked the back of her eyes as the reality of what she had just done settled on her.

She was really getting a divorce.

She closed her eyes and sat on her bed, trying to calm herself down, reassuring herself that she was doing the right thing. She massaged her ankle as she fought rising tears.

She couldn't stay with Edward anymore. She barely saw him. He left before she could even wake up, and came home after she went to bed. Bella doubted that he had even realized that she had switched bedrooms. At first, she had thought it just came with the job, and there was nothing she could do about it, but as the habit grew, she had come to believe that Edward was cheating on her. Even her best friend, Rosalie Hale-McCarty, came to the same conclusion.

Bella bit her lip in jealousy as she thought of her best friend's marriage to a large, gentle man named Emmett. Their marriage had everything Bella's didn't: communication, love, trust, and great sex.

Bella sighed, standing up and pulling out her suitcase. She began packing, trying to force her mind away from sex. But, the more she tried not to think about it, the easier the thoughts came, and soon, she could barely see what she was packing through the thick teardrops that were gathering in her eyes.

Sex was a sore topic, not because Edward wasn't good when they had been intimate, but because she was keeping a secret from him that she was sure he would never notice. It was mostly for this specific reason that she was divorcing him.

She began throwing things wildly into her suitcase until it was full, making an absolute mess out of packing. She wiped her tears sloppily, smudging her eye make-up.

Edward not only neglected her, but, he didn't even notice the small things. For example, only moments ago, when he had asked about her ankle, it made Bella realize that he didn't notice the injury a few weeks ago when it had been more severe. That was what prompted her to give him the divorce papers today.

She pulled out another large suitcase, emptying her lingerie drawer into it, and then attacking the clothes in her closet.

When she was done packing, her tears had subsided, and she was left with a very nearly empty room, and three large suitcases, stuffed to the brim.

She sat on her bed and sighed, looking around the small room. She wouldn't miss this at all, this separation from a man she loved. She, however, was almost 100% sure that Edward didn't love her anymore.

Bella ran a hand through her hair, thinking about the events in the bedroom. He had acted as if he was really shocked and hurt. Maybe he _did_ still love her. Maybe she was overreacting…

Bella shook those thoughts from her head immediately. If he loved her, he would've tried harder. She stood up, grasping the handle of one suitcase in each hand. She tried to pull them, but to no avail. They were pretty heavy. She gave up on trying to carry two at a time, and laced both of her tiny hands around the handle of one suitcase. This time, she could pull it, although it was still heavy. She barely made it to the door before Edward's voice floated over her.

"Where are you going?"

He sounded amused. Bella dropped the suitcase and straightened to her full height, which wasn't that tall compared to Edward. Bella bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know. I'll probably catch a cab to Forks, and live with Charlie for a while."

Edward rose an eyebrow at her, his delicious lips still upturned in a semi-smile. But his eyes, his intense, green eyes, were saying something else. Something Bella couldn't completely understand.

"A 27 year old living with her father?"

Bella narrowed her eyes. "Shocking that you remember my age," she snapped, unsure of where the words had come from.

Edward's eyes softened and he took a step forward. Bella took an involuntary step back. Edward looked pained. "Is that what you think?" he asked softly. "That I don't pay attention to you?"

Bella turned away from him, picking up her suitcase again. "It's not what I think, Edward. It's what I know. You saw me limping today? Well, you should've seen that last week. You don't notice me anymore."

Bella's voice grew increasingly quiet, and she wasn't even sure if he had heard her.

"Bella," Edward sighed softly. "I love you."

Bella clenched her jaw tightly, trying to keep her resolve from falling to pieces.

Edward took the suitcase from her hands, lifting it with ease. It always surprised her how strong he was. "Bella, let's make a deal." Bella looked up into his face suspiciously. "I'll sign the divorce papers if you come to Los Angeles with me."

Bella snorted. "You think you can convince me to not divorce you in 8 days?"

Edward looked mischievous. "Who said it'll only be 8 days?" He winked at her as he lifted another one of her suitcases and left the room, presumably to put them in their Buick GL8 minivan.

Bella made a bee-line to the phone. The phone rang three times before Rosalie picked up. "What, Bella?"

Bella grinned. "Sorry to interrupt your – uh,"

Rosalie laughed, and Bella heard the shifting of sheets and blankets. "Don't worry about it, we were done anyway. What's up?"

Bella stifled a laugh. "Okay, you know how I was going to divorce Edward?"

Rosalie sounded suspicious. "Uh-huh…"

"Well, he agreed that he would under the condition that I go to Los Angeles with him…"

"He thinks he can win you back in 8 days?" she crowed, laughing hard.

"Wait, wait," Bella hushed, trying to regain her friend's attention. "The thing is, that he said it will probably be more than 8 days. Meaning he plans on making stops and stuff and…"

"Bells?"

Bella bit her lip, feeling like a child. "Well," she murmured. "I was wondering if, uh,"

"You want Emmett and I to come along?"

Bella's face brightened. "Oh, would you?"

Rosalie chuckled. "Nope. This is your business with Edward, love. Good luck!"

"Rosalie! Rosalie? Rosalie!"

Bella sighed as the dial tone rang back out at her. She hung up the phone and glared at it. "What kind of best friend are you, Rosalie McCarty…"

Edward came back up the stairs moments later to find Bella glaring at the phone. He chuckled as he grabbed her third suitcase. "Technological problems?" Bella turned her glare towards him.

"Edward, if I still want a divorce at the end of our… 'trip', you'll still sign it, right?" Edward's eyes looked saddened. "Of course, Bella. I can't refuse you anything." His eyes were serious as he said the last word, boring into hers.

Bella looked away first.

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So, what do you think Bella's secret is? If you can guess, you get an exclusive sneak-peek of chapter 3!  
Review ! (: **


	3. Slowly Encourage

**Apologies for the late update, but Finals week is finally over!  
Enjoy! (: **

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**Baby Steps**

**Edward's POV**

Edward walked back up the stairs, his mind already planning for the trip ahead. He reached the top stair to find Bella glaring at the phone as if it had done something to her. She was so cute with that little pout on her face. Her lip protruded slightly as if she was a child who was refused a snack. He wanted to suck on that plump bottom lip of hers, but he had a feeling that wouldn't go too well.

"Technological problems?" He asked, trying to dispel her mood. He wasn't prepared for the large brown eyes that turned their attentions to him. He swallowed in nervousness. Suddenly, it was like he was a hormonal teenager who couldn't wait to get into bed with this beautiful young woman. He wondered if his attraction to her had always been this strong…

But then again, he wouldn't know since he was never home.

"Edward, if I still want a divorce at the end of our… 'trip', you'll still sign it, right?" Her voice drew him out of his thoughts. His heart suddenly grew heavy with the knowledge that she wasn't expecting this to work. She wasn't going to let herself be wooed easily. He wondered for a moment if she even loved him anymore, but he quickly crushed that thought because if she didn't love him, she would've left earlier. Right?

He didn't break eye contact as he answered her, needing her to know that he was telling her the honest truth. "Of course, Bella. I can't refuse you anything."

She held his gaze for a minute, then dropped her eyes.

He stepped forward, his body acting on its own accord. "Bella," he murmured, letting her name roll off of his lips like the talisman it was. She looked up at him again, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions. "Don't you want this to work?" he asked softly, letting his hand caress her cheek softly. She leaned into his hand for a moment, then as if realizing what she was doing, she sprang away and took a step back. "Don't," she murmured softly. Edward was confused. "Don't what? Don't touch my wife?"

Her body tensed in anger. "If you wanted to touch your wife, you would've done that a long time ago, Edward," she hissed.

The double meaning was not lost on him. "I always want to touch you, Bella. Even when I'm at work, and I look up at that picture of us on the desk, I want to touch you," he answered, almost pleading that she believe him.

She took another step away, shaking her head softly. "No, you don't. If you wanted to touch me so badly, you would've found a way. But you didn't."

Edward took a step forward. He was pained as he realized that their marital problems ran deeper than he had originally thought. He didn't know what to say to her, but he wanted her in his arms. He wanted to touch her, and he wanted it so badly that it almost hurt.

"Bella," he begged.

She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"I said no, Edward. Maybe this trip isn't such a good idea after all."

He could feel himself tensing as his eyes darkened to jade. "Why do you want to divorce me so badly?"

Bella closed her eyes as if trying to compose herself. "Because it's not good for me. This," she said, motioning to the two of them, "Is not good for me at all."

Edward ran a hand through his hair. "Your bags are already in the car, I'm going to go pack and call a few people." He turned away heading toward his bedroom, but not before seeing the hurt look in Bella's eyes. He understood why she was hurt. He wasn't fighting for her the way he should. But he was new to this, and he didn't know how to fight, so instead, like a coward, he retreated into his room and dialed a few numbers on his blackberry, talking like a madman as he packed. When he was satisfied that all of the reservations were complete, he sat on his bed and sighed, running his hands through his hair. He scrolled through his contact list until the name 'Victoria' was highlighted. He wondered how she would take the news.

"Hello?"

"Victoria?" he answered.

"Edward? Why are you calling so late?"

"Are you still at the office?"

"No, I just left. Why?"

"I'm going to take a thirty-day break, so I want you to tell Alice to handle things at the office for a while. Keep it light, so no business meetings or anything like that. Alice can look over proposals, but you'll have to help her since I won't be available."

He could hear the sound of papers moving on the other end.

"You're going to be gone for a month, Edward? Why?"

Edward swallowed. He wasn't nervous, he just didn't like dealing with females and their drama.

"I need to spend some time with Bella," he answered assuredly.

The line was silent.

"You want me to basically shut down your office because of _a woman_?" she spat, angrily.

"I'm not shutting down the office, Victoria, don't be childish. And Isabella isn't _a woman_, she's _my_ woman."

"Edward, don't be foolish. You think that after thirty days, you can win back your wife? I doubt it. She's probably content with how things are right now, especially if she has a lover."

Edward jumped off of his bed in anger. "How dare you imply that my wife is cheating, Victoria. That is low. Especially for you." In actuality, Victoria had spoken directly to Edward's fears. Especially his fears about not being able to win Bella back. He couldn't stand losing her.

"Edward, don't be rash, you need to –"

"Victoria, being rash would be slicing your pay check in half. That is rash. I've allowed you to speak to me this way thus far because we are _friends_," he said, emphasizing the word so that she wouldn't misunderstand. "Not because of any other reason. If you want to continue speaking about my _wife_ the way you have been, then maybe you should reconsider having a job at Masen & Associates," he snapped before ending the call and tossing his phone onto the bed.

He sighed heavily. He needed to relieve some stress. He needed to do something, or he would be insane by the time he left.

He found himself moving towards Bella's room. She was lying on the mattress, face up, with her eyes closed and her hands clasped gently over her stomach. It looked like she had been crying.

He moved into the room, disgusted at himself for his desire to kiss her while she was asleep. As long as he was able to touch her. He had gone without touching her for about a year and a half. As he watched her now, he didn't know how he did it.

"It's a little weird to watch someone sleep," Bella said. Edward almost jumped. "Oh, I just…" he didn't know what to say. "When are we leaving?" Edward looked down at his watch. It was almost midnight. "First thing tomorrow morning," he answered. "So you'd better rest up."

Bella looked amused. "I don't have any clothes. All of my stuff are in suitcases in the car." Edward grinned. "That's okay," he answered. "You can wear something of mine to bed. Bella shook her head, looking worried. "I don't think I should –"

"And you're sleeping in my bed tonight. Bella drew her bottom lip into her mouth, and Edward couldn't help the flame of desire that began to curl in his stomach. She was so damn beautiful without trying, it would be hard to keep his hands off of her.

"Edward, that's not a good ide–"

"Please?" he pleaded, not wanting her in his bed, but needing her. He needed to feel her small warmth next to him. He had missed out on this for a year and a half, and now, he refused to miss out on it again. "I won't do anything you don't want me to do," he promised. "Please?"

He snorted inwardly. Edward Masen, begging? That was unheard of, but with Bella, everything changed.

Bella looked conflicted. "You won't force me to…?"

"No," Edward answered. "Not if you don't want it." Even though he wanted it. He wanted it badly, but he wanted her to desire their connection.

"Okay," she answered slowly, sitting up. Edward couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto his face. "Okay?" he asked happily. "You'll come?" Bella shrugged, biting her lip. "Well, I guess so…" she answered softly. He wanted to run over and hug her, but he didn't want to feel the stinging pain of rejection when she didn't hug him back, so instead, he ran to his room and grabbed a black shirt and a blue pair of basketball shorts.

She took the clothes in hand and quietly went into the bathroom, probably wondering what the hell she had just gotten herself into. Although Edward wished she was comfortable enough to change in front of him, but, her acceptance to sleep in his bed _with him_ was enough to make him jollier than Santa.

He went into his – _their_ room, and quickly shed his pants and shirt, opting to sleep in his silky black boxers and a white t-shirt.

He sat up on one side of the bed by the light and put his glasses on, looking at a proposed contract as he waited for Bella to come find him.

Bella cleared her throat quietly at the door of their bedroom, alerting Edward to her presence. Edward smiled and quickly pulled off his glasses and put the contract away. He lifted one side of the covers and patted the bed. She walked slowly over to that side, each step seemingly filled with doubt. But Edward didn't let that bother him; the important part was that she was coming.

She climbed into the bed and immediately faced away from him. Edward sighed, and spooned her, wrapping his arm around her tiny waist, securing her to him. She was tense at first, but after a moment she relaxed, melting into him, and wiggling her curvaceous bottom as she got comfortable.

Edward could feel his boxers tenting. "Uh, Bella?"

"Hmm?" her voice was soft and sleepy. She smiled like strawberries and happiness and everything good with the world. Edward almost moaned at his sudden sappiness, but Bella was doing good things to other parts of his body.

"You might not want to… wiggle so much…" Bella tensed suddenly. "Oh…sorry." Edward smiled and hugged her tighter to him. "It's not that I don't enjoy it, I just don't want to…" he trailed off, letting her fill in the blanks. She was silent.

"Bella?" Edward felt selfish, keeping her awake to satisfy his seemingly insatiable need for her.

"Yeah?" she sounded drowsy.

"C-Can I kiss you?"

It was silent for a moment, and Edward thought she had fallen asleep..

"I really want you to, but I – I can't let you, Edward."

"Why not?"

He could feel the rise and fall of her soft body as she sighed. "I don't know." He released her and she turned around to face him. Her eyes were shuttered, keeping him out. He supposed he deserved this. "Just once? Please?" he couldn't keep himself from begging. He wanted her, and she might as well know it.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Sleeping with you is a big step for me."

Edward nodded, forcing himself to understand as he wrapped an arm around her again. "Okay," he answered softly, closing his eyes. He couldn't have everything in one night, but he was definitely going to work on getting her to let him kiss her again.

"Sorry," she murmured again as she fell back into sleep.

He tightened his grip around her. "No need to apologize," he murmured.

Because, after all, this was his fault.

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Do you think Bella should've let Edward kiss her?  
Review! (: **


	4. Achingly Escape

**Okay, okay, I'll say it so you all don't have to: I am quite possibly one of the worst authors on this site in terms of updating. I know. But if any of you are still with me, just know that I am humbled and deeply and madly in love with you. Author's Note at the bottom, my dearies.**

**Disclaimer**: _You know all the good stuff._**  
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**Bella's POV**

Bella awoke the next morning secured tightly underneath something warm and hard. Still half asleep, she snuggled closer to whatever was covering her, and thought idly that she had made a good investment in this blanket. Until she remembered that her 'blanket' was hard.

And then it shifted, and sighed.

Her eyes shot open, and she blinked twice to clear them of sleep. She was sleeping in Edward's bed, and he was wrapped around her. Almost every part of their bodies was touching in some way or another. It was as if during the night, their bodies had acquired minds of their own and gravitated toward each other. As her mind cleared, panic began to set in. _She was lying underneath her husband_.

If this had been any other situation, she probably would not have had a problem with this, but this was her estranged husband. Her estranged husband whose hair shone a fierce reddish copper color in the light that filtered through the blinds, and her estranged husband whose green eyes now opened slowly. He blinked and stared at her, and after a moment's hesitation, moved off of her and stretched.

Bella couldn't lie to herself. She still loved him, and she found herself attracted to him. The part of her that still felt strong feelings for him had agreed to go with him on a wild road trip yesterday. But now, as her rational mind mulled over her situation, she realized that nothing substantial could be fixed in 8 days. Or however many days he was planning on spending with her. She considered for a moment calling the whole thing off, and walking away from it all.

"What are you thinking about?"

His voice was rough with sleep, but he sounded concerned. Bella hesitated. "Nothing," she said slowly. But as she lied, the panic within her grew. What was she going to do with him on this road trip? Should she even waste his time when she knew that he would be utterly unable to woo her in any way possible?

She sat up, and moved a few inches away from him. "Edward," she said firmly. He looked at her, his eyes questioning. "What are you going to Los Angeles for?"

She could practically see the gears turning in his head. "There's business down there, and there are a few clients I could see. I've also got a contract negotiation that I've been putting off that I might as well deal with when I get there, so I –"

"I don't want to go," she interrupted.

The silence that followed was almost deafening. When he finally spoke, his voice held more sorrow than she had been prepared for. "What? Why – Why not? Yesterday, you said –"

"I know what I said yesterday, Edward. I was there. But I don't think this trip will help. I don't think this will be good for either of us."

"But Bella, you were –"

She turned away from him, cutting him off. She got off of the bed and paced back and forth. She always worked better in the morning, and now her mind was operating on hyper drive. Everything seemed so much clearer now that she had gotten a good night's rest.

"I can't go through with this, Edward," she said as she paced, motioning wildly with her hands. "I can't sit in a car with you for eight or however many days and pretend that I'm not unbelievably _angry_ with you, Edward. You can't undo a year in a few days!"

Edward was sitting up now, alert. He remained silent as she spoke. "And even if we do go on this trip, then what?" she stopped abruptly and looked him hard in the eye. "Then what, Edward? Let's say we go on this trip, and we become friends again. What happens when you come back? When you have to go to work again? You can't put off work forever to tend to your wife. If this isn't working now, it isn't going to work ever. We can't fool ourselves!"

"Bella, don't you think I know that? We will –"

"We won't do anything, Edward!"

"Will you let me speak?"

His last statement was loud, and his voice seemed to echo around the small room. His body was tense, and his eyes were bright with emotion. "No," Bella finally answered, meeting him head-on. She had never expressed this much emotion and it made her feel alive. "No, you can't speak. You've had a year to speak and you never took your opportunity. Then the moment you come home and it's not like how you had imagined, you want to whisk me off to _Los Angeles_ for god's sake. And you expect everything to be peachy-keen, and for me to jump right back into your arms?"

He clenched his jaw and ran his hands through his hair as she spoke. She saw resignation in his eyes, and some other emotion she couldn't quite name. "I'm not going to lie to you," she continued. "I still love you. I'm still _in_ love with you, but we can't pretend that the last year never happened! That our deteriorating marriage will suddenly take a turn for the better after a _road trip_!"

Edward got off of the bed, and advanced towards her. "You still love me?" he said, softly, his voice filled with hope.

Bella turned away from him, refusing to qualify his statement. He plowed on anyway.

"You still love me, Bella! So let me figure out how to make this work. Maybe a road trip won't work, but I can take a year off, we can fly to India and see the Phagwa festival! You've always wanted to see that, haven't you? And we can –"

"Edward, _stop._" Bella's tone was harder and colder than she had meant it to be, and he looked taken aback. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You _can't_ take a year off. You can barely afford to take a week off! We can't go flying off around the world like some fools! Running away from _this_," she cried, motioning between their bodies. "Won't change anything!"

"Bella –"

"I'm leaving, Edward," Bella said softly, but firmly. "You have the divorce papers. You know my opinion on this entire thing. All I'm waiting for is a signature."

Bella walked out of the bedroom before he could say something to change her mind, or weave another one of his tales that sounded like heaven but was doomed to fail. She brushed tears from her eyes as she pulled on a pair of slippers that she had left by the door and hurried out to the minivan. She contemplated for a minute how to get her three suitcases out without killing herself. She resolved that she would have to try her best and she would have to do it before Edward came to his senses and came outside to chase her.

Heaving and turning red in the face, she finally transferred all of her belongings from the minivan to her tiny car. Her breathing was labored, but her adrenaline was running high. She felt the smallest bit of sympathy for Edward. She had changed emotions and opinions so fast, she probably gave him whiplash. Over the course of a few hours, she had gone from being a quiet lamb led to the slaughter to a roaring lioness. Or at least, that's what she liked to think.

As soon as she got her keys, she pulled out of the driveway as fast as she possibly could, and nearly floored the gas.

Bella had been driving aimlessly for about half-an-hour, when she found herself at Rosalie's front door. It was still early, and she doubted Rosalie was even out of bed yet, but at this point, she had nowhere else to go. She got out of the car, and proceeded to ring the bell more times than was absolutely necessary. While her finger was still on the bell, the door flew open and Rosalie stood there in all her glory; hair in a craze and eyes half closed.

"What?" she croaked crankily. "Bella? What the hell are you doing at my house right now? Do you know what time it is? Holy crap I need some coffee."

Rosalie walked away, leaving the door wide open. Bella chuckled and followed her in, carefully closing and locking the door behind her. Rosalie's house was just as beautiful as Edward's, but it had that family lived-in feel that his was lacking. "I didn't invite you in," Rosalie groaned as the coffee maker began churning beans. Bella forced a jovial chuckle. "You left the front door wide open," she replied.

Rosalie graced her with a perfectly manicured middle finger. "Why are you at my house?" she asked again. "Aren't you supposed to be off on some love trip? Do you know what time it is?"

Bella sighed and dropped her head into her arms. "I told him I wasn't going," she mumbled softly.

"What the hell did you just say?" Rosalie said loudly, flicking Bella's head with her sharp fingernails.

"Ow. I said, 'I told him I wasn't going.'" Bella repeated, rubbing her head. Rosalie sighed as her coffee was finally finished. She poured herself a cup and took a tentative sip. She sighed in pleasure, and cooed her thanks to her coffee maker. Bella rolled her eyes. "You're an addict," she said snarkily.

"You know what else I'm addicted to?" Rosalie asked, her eyes glinting with mischievousness. "Sex," she said definitively. "With my gorgeous hunk of a husband. And you know what I can't do if you keep being silly and stay at my house? Have sex. With my gorgeous hunk of a husband. Do you see my problem?"

Bella rolled her eyes again at her friend's crass nature. "Do you think I would be here if I wanted to be?" she asked, trying to sound snarky, but her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and she had to breathe through her nose to keep from bursting into tears. Rosalie's face softened, and she put down her coffee cup. "Oh Bella," she said softly, kissing her friend's forehead softly. "You know I love you, but you can't run away from your problems!"

"That's the same thing I told him," Bella scoffed.

Rosalie frowned and picked up her cup again. "I wish I could solve all of your problems," she said pensively. "But I don't know what to tell you. Marriage counseling?"

Bella sighed and shook her head. "That wouldn't work. I don't know what to do either." She dropped her head into her arms again.

Rosalie patted her head with a motherly affection. "There, there," she cooed, taking a large swing of coffee. "You can stay here as long as you like. I'll just let Emmett know."

Bella looked up and grinned. "Thanks Rosie Posie! I knew you had a heart in you somewhere!"

Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "Just you wait, Emmett will kick you out soon enough."

Bella howled with laughter at the idea of the gentle giant kicking anyone out, much less her. Rosalie narrowed her eyes again, but she had a grin on her lips, and she took another swing of coffee.

"Well speak of the devil," she said softly as Bella's laughter subsided. Rosalie's baby blue eyes darkened with a combination of lust and love, and Bella felt a mixture of jealousy and happiness for her best friend.

Emmett came into view, and he made a bee-line towards his wife. He pulled her to him, wrapping one arm firmly around his waist, and using his other hand to steady the cup of coffee that she held precariously in the air. "Good morning," Bella heard him grunt before he kissed her soundly. She turned away, her cheeks reddening from their obvious affection for one another.

She would never admit it, but she missed Edward terribly.

* * *

**A/N: You may feel free to skip by this part if you'd like, I'm just going to go on rambling and apologizing :3**

**So, let the rambling and apologizing begin.  
I just want all of you who have reviewed and followed my story to know that I am humbled by your comments and every review encourages me to write more. Unfortunately, I have a little bit of a writer's block problem where I'll get stuck for a long time, or I'll temporarily lose interest. This flighty nature of mine is somewhat tamed by your insightful reviews and your thought out praises. You can't begin to understand how much I appreciate every word you take the time out to write. And therefore, I must take this moment to greedily beg for more. They keep me going. Knowing someone is reading what I write is what I live for. Mostly.  
Secondly, I want to remind everyone that I am currently a full-time student, and while I would love to be a full-time author, I don't have as much time to write as I would like. But I can promise to do my best. I promise that I always keep my promises! (see what I did there?)  
Lastly, I want to say that I will definitely finish this story. Sometimes I may post up 3 chapters in a row, and sometimes I may post a chapter once every month. But I will try to keep from doing that, and I will give my earnest effort to be as consistent as possible. But if I'm not, I must beg you to have patience with me. But don't forget me or give up on me! I will work as hard as I can.  
Phew, this is my longest A/N ever, and I'm sure that I've bored you all half to death. So I'm going to cut it short:  
I sincerely apologize for the long, random hiatus, and I shamelessly beg all of you to come back to me and keep writing reviews and pimp out my story to anyone you know, and I promise with all of my promising powers that I will finish this story in a timely fashion. Or as timely as someone as myself can be.**

**With that, HAPPY EASTER/PHAGWA/WHATEVER YOU CELEBRATE, and I love each and every one of you precious darlings. See you soon!**


	5. Softly Intervene

**A/N at the bottom, my dears.**

**Disclaimer:**_This isn't mine, &etc. You all already know ;) _**  
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**Edward's POV**

After Bella walked out, Edward had entered into automatic mode. He mechanically showered, dressed, and drove to work. He didn't return anyone's greetings, and he stayed in his office and pored over his work until security asked him to leave. He was the first one into the building and the first one out of it. If you had asked him if he was depressed, he wouldn't have known what answer to give, because he didn't give himself any time to think. Everyone avoided him. Even Victoria tried to keep out of his path. But nights were the worst. No matter how many hours he spent at work, when he finally laid his exhausted body down on his bed, his mind went straight to Bella. It had been three days, and he had wasted three suits because he didn't bother taking them off before he lay down for the night. He didn't remember putting anything into his mouth except for the bagel and coffee that found their way onto his desk every morning at 7:30. If you had asked him what the bagel or the coffee tasted like, he wouldn't have been able to give you an answer. He was in a haze by day, and by night he was tortured by thoughts of his estranged wife.

He now sat at his desk poring over his work for the fourth day in a row. His coffee cup had long since been emptied, and all that remained of his bagel were a few crumbs. He had the general air of being disheveled. His hair was wild, his tie was lopsided, and his shirt was buttoned incorrectly. His desk was a wild assortment of contracts, documents, briefs and miscellaneous papers and notes that had never been sorted and filed away. He was so engrossed in his work; he did not notice his office door opening and closing. He did not hear the soft patter of size six feet as they approached his desk. He did not notice the person sitting in the chair directly opposite him until he looked up to relieve a crick in his neck.

"Alice," he said in surprise. "When did you get here?"

His sister smiled sadly. "Almost fifteen minutes ago," she said softly. Edward nodded, letting out a soft 'huh.' "So, what do you need?" he asked. "Is anything wrong?"

Alice's eyes filled with tears. "Do you see yourself?" she said softly, swiping at her eyes.

Edward was confused, and decidedly ignored her tears. "See myself? Alice, what's wrong?"

"You haven't been answering your phone, Edward," she said softly. "Mom has been trying to reach you, and so has Jasper and I. What's going on? Why haven't you called me?"

Edward leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. His little sister was not sensitive, but he didn't want to burden her with his problems. "Nothing," he finally said. "I'm fine. Why would you think otherwise?"

Alice's eyes suddenly burned with anger. "Don't lie to me, Edward," she said firmly. "Your shirt is off by a button, and your tie is lopsided. Your trousers are wrinkled and it looks like you haven't slept in days!"

Edward got up and faced the wall of windows behind his desk, looking down at the busy streets below. He fought the urge to yawn, and debated on what to tell Alice.

"She wants a divorce, Alice," he said slowly, not turning around. He didn't want his sister to see his pain.

It was silent for a moment. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!"

"You shouldn't be," he replied softly. "I shouldn't have treated her the way I did."

"Don't," Alice said suddenly. "Don't blame yourself. It takes two people to make a marriage work. She should've tried too."

Edward whirled around. "Don't blame her, Alice," he said, trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice. "It's all _my_ fault. I should've been a better husband. I put everything before her." He clenched the back of his chair, almost as if he were clenching onto the last bits of his composure. "And now I'm going to lose her. But I can't! I just can't. I don't know why I didn't realize that until now, but I can't lose her Alice. I love her!"

Alice was crying, and Edward wanted to slam his head into a wall. He hadn't meant to unload his burdens onto his little sister, but all the grief that he had kept carefully locked up was threatening to spill over now.

"I wish I could help you, Edward," Alice finally said. "But I don't know where to start. It's all so sad!" she cried as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Edward was slightly taken aback at her unusually emotional response, but he swallowed his sadness and walked around his desk to rub his sister's back.

"Don't cry for me, Alice," he said, trying to comfort her when he needed comforting for himself. "I'll figure something out. I always do," he said, nudging her. She looked up and smiled, though her eyes were still wet. "That's true," she said shakily, wiping her face with the backs of her hands. "You always know what to do." She grasped his hands and looked into his eyes. "But just know that I will always be here to help you, Edward. I'll do anything I can."

Edward grinned and mussed her hair. "Okay little brat, go wash your face and go back to your husband before he beats me up for making you cry."

Alice stood up and grinned at the mention of her husband. "I'll call you later, okay?"

Edward nodded. Alice studied him for a moment, and satisfied with whatever she saw, she left without a further word.

Edward sighed, sat back down at his desk, and ran his hands through his hair. He leaned back in his chair, and his eyes settled on his picture with Bella. He couldn't believe he had let his marriage get as far out of control as it had. He couldn't even pinpoint the day this had started. He turned his chair around and stared out of the window, not really seeing anything but the expression on Bella's face before she left.

As he pondered, the door to his office opened tentatively.

"Alice? Did you leave something?"

The person who entered hesitated.

"Edward, it's me."

Edward turned around. "Victoria. What do you need?"

He had intended for his tone to be more biting, more cold; but it fell flat at her feet. He didn't look at her face. He knew what mask she wore today. It was one of pity, and perhaps of scorn.

"Edward," she finally breathed after a moment. "I really am worried about you."

He looked at her. She was dressed in a simple, form fitting grey dress. She wore black pumps, and a black belt. Her fiery red hair was thick and fell in curls down her back and over her shoulders. Her eyes were a sharp green and piercing. They looked at him now with what Edward was surprised to decipher as sympathy. He nodded towards the seat in front of him, and she took the cue to sit down. "I know how you feel," she said quietly, after a moment of silence.

He looked at her, disbelieving. "Do you?" he asked softly. "You don't even like Bella."

She looked pained. "The same thing happened to me once before. His name was Laurent." She gazed out of the window as she spoke. Her eyes held a faraway look that told Edward that she no longer saw him, but she saw the face of the beloved of whom she spoke. He took the time to admire her face. Her skin was clear and smooth, and she had a sharp, noble nose. Her eyes turned to him now, and instead of the pride he expected to see as a result of him admiring her features, he found inquisitiveness. "Did you feel that way?" she asked, genuinely seeking an answer.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

She gave him a hard look, and sighed. "Never mind, Edward," she said as she stood up and smoothed down her dress. "I can see your mind is elsewhere." She paused for a moment and looked pensive. "You know," she said slowly. "A few of the guys from the office are going out to a new club tonight. You should come along. It might get your mind off of everything."

Edward tried to smile, but he suddenly felt exhausted. He was now feeling the toll of his sleepless nights. "Thanks, Victoria, but I'm going to have to pass."

She smiled, and he realized that she didn't expect him to accept her invitation. "Alright," she replied. "If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."

Edward nodded, and tried to return to his work. But Victoria's invitation was heavy on his mind. Maybe he did need to go out and clear his head a bit. Sitting at home and wallowing in his depression certainly wasn't going to help. He sighed and picked up the phone.

"Victoria?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"I change my mind. I'll be taking you up on that offer."

He could almost hear her smiling.

"That's really great, Edward! We'll be going to Club Monaco. You can meet us there around, say, 9?"

"That'll be great. And Victoria?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"Thank you."

He hung up before she had the chance to respond. He rubbed his face again and hoped that what he was doing was the right thing.

* * *

**A/N: Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for... (jk, you can stop reading now if you so choose)  
**

**So, I've read all of your reviews, and I must admit that you are all right to have little faith in me. But I will try to restore that to the best of my ability. It's crazy that it's been two years. But I send out my greatest thank yous and many hugs and kisses to the ones who have endured and stayed. I beg those who have left to return, and I welcome those who are new. **

**Just one thing. I'm looking for a Beta for this story and the other one. Any takers? Any referrals? Leave it in the review, or drop me a PM. **

**Once again, thank you my darling angels. I love you all.**


	6. Musically Destroy

**A/N at the bottom, angels.**

**DISCLAIMER: _Yadda, yadda, I don't own this, I wish I did.__  
_**

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**Bella's POV**

Bella had woken up early that morning to go to her ballet class. Her plan was to stay out of Rosalie's way as much as possible, so she wouldn't feel like she was intruding. Besides, Bella was not one to mope around in depression, regardless of how she felt inside. She stretched slowly now, keeping an eye out for her high school friend, Jessica. She spotted the bubbly blonde a few minutes before Madame Pierselle walked in.

Madame Pierselle was a very grande woman. She walked with a certain poise and elegance that made people afraid to approach her. She had a manner about her that declared to the world that she was always right, and she knew it. She had come from France only a few years ago, and now spent most of her time chastising ballerinas in a heavy French accent. It was rumored that her husband had sent her overseas with a hefty fortune so he could continue his affaire with a young French actress named Carla. The scandal, however, only added to the Madame's fame. She drew hundreds of hopefuls every year, but hand selected a lucky few. Bella had barely gotten in.

"_A l'attention, mademoiselles_," she said in a soft voice that carried to the far corners of the room. Jessica slid gracefully into her spot in front of Bella, earning a reprimanding look from Madame Pierselle. The class began without further ado.

At the end of the closing exercise, Bella realized that she had spent two strenuous hours bending and twisting her body in ways she would later regret – but she also spent two hours keeping her mind off of Edward. As soon as the class was dismissed, however, that peace was shattered by Jessica's first question.

"So, how's the husband?"

Bella wasn't as close to Jessica as she was to Rosalie, so she stretched in contemplative silence before she spoke.

"He's fine," she said, choosing her words carefully.

Jessica either didn't take the hint, or was really desperate for more answers.

"Fine? Did you hear about his most recent falling out?"

Bella shook her head silently in the negative as she continued to stretch. Jessica had an infatuation with Edward since high school. An infatuation that seemed to have never worn off.

Jessica chattered on happily, telling a long, intricate story about Edward and some clients. To some extent, Bella was glad for her friend's nature, because Bella could sit in silence while Jessica conversed with herself.

As they got up to leave the floor, Jessica suddenly cut herself short with a quick intake of breath. Bella glanced at her friend, curious.

"Jessica?"

"Oh my god, Bella, do you see that man?"

Bella scanned the small crowd of people who had gathered to greet the dancers, and her eyes landed on the person of whom Jessica spoke. He was tall, and well formed. He looked like he had played football in his younger years. His skin was tanned, and Bella thought he came from Native American descent. He had warm, dark eyes that focused intently on the person with whom he was speaking. His features held a look of pride, but also a look of warmth and passion. He was intriguing, to say the least.

"Yeah, what about him?"

Bella had to admit that he was handsome, but there were more important things than handsome men. Like gathering her gym bag, for example.

"That's _Jacob Black_," Jessica said passionately as Bella swung her bag across her chest. "He's one of the richest people around here. I think he's done business with Edward, right? Do you think you could put a word in?"

Bella chuckled, and started towards the exit.

"I don't know everyone my husband does business with," she said in a tone that one would use to chide a small child. Bella didn't miss Jessica's pout, but she shrugged. There was nothing to be done to help her friend. As they passed through the crowd, someone put a light hand on Bella's arm. Bella looked up in surprise, and met with the dark, intense eyes that she had noticed before.

"Hi," he said, smiling. His smile made him infinitely more handsome. "I'm sorry, but I saw you dancing, and I wanted to tell you how amazing you are."

Bella could hear Jessica squealing in delight, but her mind was focused elsewhere. She knew that Madame Pierselle allowed audiences to watch her classes, but it was still a shock to have someone compliment her, exclusively. She immediately blushed as the thought sank in.

"Oh," Bella said softly. "Well, thank you."

"I'm sorry, that was probably creepy. You don't even know my name," he said, grinning. Bella contemplated telling him that she did, but she decided against it. "It's Jacob," he said, offering her his hand. She smiled and took it. "Bella," she responded.

"Uh," he began slowly, looking away. He suddenly looked sheepish. Bella decided that it was charming. "I was just wondering, if you had any time later, maybe we could go get a drink or something. As friends. Not to be presumptuous. If you don't have time we don't have to. I mean, I'd like to, but we don't have to. Unless you want to. But –"

Bella laughed, and interrupted him. He was clearly nervous, and it appealed to her. "I'd love to," she said, smiling. His resulting grin made her feel like she had just promised to cure world hunger. "Great," he said, and she could see the genuine happiness on his face. "Here," he said, handing her a small card. "That's my number. Just call me when you want to go out."

Bella was slightly apprehensive. "Anytime?" she asked slowly.

He nodded. "Of course."

"But, don't you have like, work?"

Jacob laughed. "Yeah, I do. But I learned a while ago that you have to balance work and play to be happy. Taking a little time off to spend with a pretty girl won't hurt."

Bella was too caught up in her thoughts to blush or giggle at his compliment. It didn't make sense to her that for him, taking time off of work was simple. There was no schedule that she had to fit into, no secretary to haggle with, nothing. It was easy. Jacob wanted to spend time with her, so he was willing to make room for her. It was never that easy with Edward. Every time she had called the office, his secretary had always told her that Edward was too busy for calls. When she had tried his cell phone, it was either off, or it went straight to voicemail. After a few months of trying, she had given up. But now, Jacob stood in front of her and told her it was as easy as dialing a few numbers to get him to spend some time with her.

"Hey," he said softly, interrupting her thoughts. His features were caressed with concern. "Was that too forward? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Bella smiled at his concern. "No, you didn't do anything wrong," she said, brushing away all thoughts of Edward for a later time. "I'll call you soon," she said, before turning back to Jessica and leaving the studio.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Jessica began harassing her for information. "What happened? Did you mention me? Isn't he _so_ hot? Bella, dish!"

Bella grinned and looked at her friend as they approached her car. "He's cool," she said nonchalantly, as she got into her car and closed the door. She laughed at Jessica's meltdown that she could partially hear over the engine.

"_Bella Masen, you _better_ call me!_"

Bella grinned again as she pulled out of the parking lot. She had a small feeling that Jessica wouldn't appreciate the news that Jacob had asked her out for drinks.

* * *

Bella pulled into the parking lot of her OBGYN 15 minutes late for her appointment. She locked the car and jogged up the steps into the office. She was nervous as she gave the secretary her name, and her apprehensiveness only grew for every minute that passed. Finally, a petite brunette called her name, and she walked into the office.

Her vitals were taken, and Bella began to feel a sense of calm. She zoned out as she stared at the clock ahead of her. She thought of everything from Charlie to what she would eat tonight. But she carefully kept her mind off of one topic. _Edward_.

Her doctor finally walked into the room. She was a middle-aged brunette, with a maternal air about her. She wore glasses, and her age was accented by the wisps of silver in her otherwise solidly brown hair. "Hello, Isabella," she said kindly. They spoke for a while on mundane topics, and the woman told her about her newest grandchild. Finally, they ran out of topics.

"Isabella," Dr. Cullen said, opening her folder and scanning a few items. When she couldn't stall anymore, she looked up at Bella, and took off her glasses. Bella didn't need to hear anymore, she covered her face with her hands and began sobbing in earnest. She felt Dr. Cullen's soft hands rubbing circles onto her back, but she couldn't hear what Dr. Cullen was saying. Nor did she really want to. She felt absolutely empty inside, and no matter how much she cried, the feeling refused to go away. Gradually, she grew too tired to continue her outpour of tears. She wiped her face, and thanked Dr. Cullen for her kindness. The woman looked heartbroken for her patient. Bella embraced her, and left the office.

Bella was not one to dwell in sadness, and so as soon as she got into her car, she began driving. She didn't allow herself to think about the emptiness she felt, or the complete desolation that gnawed at her. She drove to Rosalie's place, and collapsed onto the couch where she had taken up residence. She felt absolutely crushed and destroyed. At some point, later in the evening, Rosalie walked in, and noticed the desolate figure on the couch. She turned on a lamp, and sat by her friend.

"Bella?" she asked softly, rubbing her friend's shoulder. "Bella, what's happened?"

Bella sat up, and stared at her friend. Her eyes were red and puffy with crying, and they had a certain emptiness that Rosalie had never seen before.

"Bella?"

"I- I went to the OBGYN today," Bella said quietly. Rosalie wasn't sure she had even heard her.

"And what did they say?"

Bella was silent for a moment as she looked down at her hands.

"Remember our junior year?" she asked slowly, never looking up at her friend. "And the accident?"

It suddenly dawned on Rosalie exactly what Bella was talking about. "Oh, Bella," Rosalie breathed, pulling her friend into a hug. She wasn't surprised to feel Bella's thin shoulders shaking with the force of her silent sorrow. Rosalie herself shed tears for her best friend. The two sat like that, enveloped in silence and sorrow for more than half an hour before Bella pulled away, and laid down on the couch, turning her face away from Rosalie. Rosalie was a good friend, but hers weren't the arms she wanted to be enveloped in.

"Bella," Rosalie said softly, trying not to be insensitive. "Emmett and I were going to go out to that new club tonight. Maybe you should come and get your mind off of things?"

"No thank you," was the reply.

"Okay," Rosalie said, understanding. She began pulling off her shoes, ready to make herself comfortable on the couch beside her friend.

"Please don't stay here, Rosalie," Bella said quietly.

"Bella, I'm –"

"Rosalie, _please_." Bella had turned her eyes to her friend, and there was a desperation there that Rosalie couldn't refuse. She sighed.

"Alright," she finally acquiesced. "But if you need anything, and I mean _anything_, you call me _right away_, okay? I'll be here in less than 10."

Bella didn't answer.

She didn't know how long she lay on the couch before she heard Emmett come home. She heard Rosalie converse with him in soft tones, and she heard them get dressed somberly. She heard them leave together, and she heard the soft whisper of Emmett's tires on the gravel.

She wished terribly that Edward was here.

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**A/N: Phew. I know some of you may be panicking out there, and I'm kind of panicking too. This was hard to write, and I apologize if I did the scene any injustice.**

**I must ask once again - no, I must _beg_ for a Beta.**

**And last but not least, I thank you all for reading, and I am more than excited to read all of your reviews. (Yes, even the angry ones.)**

**See you soon, mes chères petites. **


	7. Inebriated Awakening

**A/N à la fin, mes petites.**

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own this, but you know who does :*_**  
**

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**Edward's POV**

Edward had absolutely no idea how to dress. It seemed like forever since he had last gone clubbing. He had originally planned to wear a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of grey slacks. But when he looked in the mirror, he realized how uptight and formal he looked. He had just about given up on every outfit that came to mind – one that included a sweater vest – when his doorbell rang. He quickly pulled a shirt over his head, and went to answer the door.

He couldn't help hoping that Bella had rung the bell, and had come to tell him that she wanted to find a way to make things work, and that she would take him back. He hesitated when he approached the door, hoping that the person behind the door would magically turn into Bella. It didn't help that he had no idea where she had gone after she left him. The doorbell rang again, and he couldn't put it off any longer.

He pulled open the door, and his smile faltered a bit when he saw who stood on his doorstep.

"Victoria," he breathed, exhaling along with her name the hopes that Bella had come back to him.

Her scarlet red lips curved into a smile. "You don't seem happy to see me," she said coyly. He forced a smile back onto his face. "No, it's just that I was expecting someone else."

She giggled. "Is your wife home?"

Her question sent a strong pang through his heart. So simple a question brought back memories of Bella leaving without hesitation. Bella being driven from his home by his crass and cold behavior. He wished desperately that she would come back to him, and give him another chance to show her that the coldness in his behavior did not reflect the warmth in his heart.

"No," he said, trying to keep the desolation out of his voice.

They stared at each other, silent. She was wearing a tight, short, black dress, and emerald green heels that brought her closer to his height. Her hair was in tight curls that gave her a playful air. Her eyes looked lively and excited.

"So," she said after a moment of silence. "Can I come in?"

"Oh," Edward said, stepping aside. "Of course. I'm sorry."

She walked past him, brushing him with her arm. Edward hoped that had been an accident. She stood in the middle of his living room and surveyed everything with a critical eye. Suddenly, Edward wished she wasn't here. She was an intruder. An unwelcome feminine presence that Bella's memory resisted violently.

"Why are you here, Victoria?" Edward suddenly asked. "I thought we were meeting at Monaco at 9."

Victoria spun around to face him, and regarded him with a strange look in her eye.

"It's almost 9, Edward," she said softly, as she took a step towards him. He held his ground.

"You're not even dressed," she continued, taking another step towards him. He suddenly felt like a gazelle being stalked by a lioness. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's been a while since I've gone out," he replied confidently. He didn't want to sound as uncomfortable as he felt.

Victoria laughed as she closed the distance between them, her hand rising to caress his shoulder. "You can wear a black shirt and a pair of jeans," she said, her warm breath gliding over his skin.

"Thanks for your help," he said, taking a firm step away from her and towards his room. "I'll be back in a minute," he continued. "Make yourself comfortable. I think there are some magazines on the table."

Edward retreated to his bedroom, and hoped that Victoria wasn't going to flirt with him all night. When he went back downstairs, he found her staring at the curtains.

"Victoria?"

"Edward," she said as she turned to him and smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Is there something wrong with the curtains?"

"Oh, nothing," she said reluctantly, as if she had something else to say. Edward wouldn't do her the honor of asking her to complete her sentence. But she did anyway. "It's just that, I don't think these are the right curtains for this room. Perhaps a burgundy and a gold would –"

"My wife chose those curtains," Edward asserted firmly, secretly thrilled at still being able to refer to Bella as his wife. '_But for how much longer?' _another voice questioned from deep inside of him. He suppressed the thought as soon as it came. He refused to even entertain the idea that he and Bella would go through with their divorce.

A dark look cast itself over Victoria's features, but it was gone so quickly, Edward wasn't sure if he had actually seen it.

"Yes," she said, almost as if belittling Bella's tastes. Edward was immediately incensed.

"You better go," he said coldly. "Thank you for helping me. I'll meet you at Monaco."

"Edward," Victoria said slowly. "My friends dropped me off here. I was hoping we could ride together to Monaco. I really didn't mean any offense by the curtains."

Edward studied her. She seemed sincere. He sighed. "Alright," he said, picking up his keys. "Let's go, then."

The ride to the club was silent, and Edward was grateful that Victoria had the sense to see that he was in no mood to speak to her.

They arrived at the club a little after 9. A young blonde man with clear blue eyes introduced himself as James, their valet for the night. Edward was not bothered at all that the young man's eyes followed Victoria instead of paying attention to him. Without a further word, Edward dropped the keys into the man's hands, and began walking into the club. As they approached the door, Victoria boldly wound her arm around Edward's, clinging to him like a girlfriend. She gave her name to the bouncer at the door, and with a smile and a wink, they were in.

As soon as Edward's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he disentangled himself from Victoria's grasp, and headed towards the bar. Bodies were packed tightly against each other on the floor, writhing and bobbing to the music that played loud enough to drown out one's thoughts. Strobe lighting occasionally lit up the floor, displaying sweaty, inebriated bodies grinding against each other with a sort of desperation. The scene was not at all interesting or fun to Edward, and he began wondering why he had taken Victoria up on her offer.

He motioned to the bartender, and ordered a scotch. He downed it quickly, and realized that he wanted something stronger. He was at the bar for a while, and when he looked up at the dance floor again, it suddenly seemed more romantic. The lighting suddenly seemed softer, and the girls seemed more beautiful. Across the bar, a tiny woman smiled at him, and he felt his lips turn up in a smile back. He felt generous, and sent her a cute martini. When she heard it was from him, she walked to his side of the bar.

"I'm Jane," she said over the music. Edward grinned.

"Edward," he replied. A wave of courage overtook him. "Want to dance?"

She nodded, and took his hand. When he stepped off of the bar stool, the entire room seemed to lurch to the left, and he found this sudden movement incredibly funny. Jane seemed amused.

The alcohol had loosened Edward's limbs, and given him a new vibrancy. He didn't know how long he danced, or how many girls he danced with, but he felt more awake than he had felt since Bella left. _Bella_. The name was slightly sobering, and suddenly, he wished she was here. He stumbled back to the bar and ordered something. He couldn't remember what it was now, but he hoped that whatever it was would wash away the hurt that was associated with Bella.

He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had wanted to provide an easy life for her. A life where she would never worry about money. Especially since she had come from such a difficult background. But that had backfired on him, and now the one thing he loved with everything in his being had run away from him.

Someone grabbed his arm and led him to the floor, where the music was the loudest. He danced wildly, holding the woman close. He hoped that it was Bella. But something was wrong. Her hair was red where it was supposed to be brown, and she smelled of expensive perfume, where she was supposed to smell of softness and strawberry shampoo. Her eyes were green, where Bella's were warm and brown. The woman was tall where Bella was shorter, and she had rounder curves where Bella's seemed to be made exactly for him.

His heart ached, and he longed to say the sweet name that burned at his lips, but his brain was slow with alcohol, and his jaw was stiff. The woman turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Edward held onto her hips to steady himself as the room swayed, and she took that as encouragement. She kissed his neck, and he felt her tongue tracing his jaw. He wanted to push her away, but he was struggling to stay upright. The lips made him think of Bella's soft ones. Images of her heated body writhing in his sheets rose in his mind, and he longed to be intimate with her again. His mind managed to convince him that the person he held in his arms was, in fact, Bella. Despite everything being wrong, he desperately wanted to believe it was her again.

Suddenly, a large hand yanked his shoulder, and he found himself being torn away from the woman.

"What the _fuck_?"

The person who had grabbed him sounded enraged. Edward thought that it was the woman's boyfriend. From somewhere to his left, two women were arguing and creating a general commotion. One of the voices sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The next thing he knew, he was dragged outside of the club, and he was facing a very angry looking blonde woman. He thought idly that she was beautiful, but nothing compared to his Bella. As soon as the thought materialized, she slapped him hard. The sting combined with the cold air sobered him up enough to realize who the woman was.

"Rosalie? What the _hell_?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," she fumed. "You're disgusting," she spat after studying at him for a moment. Her eyes were absolutely wild with anger.

"What's wrong with you? What did I do?"

"What did you _do_?" she shrieked. And then she flew at him. He tried to protect himself, but Rosalie was relentless in her anger. Suddenly, the attack was halted, and Edward looked up at his savior, and recoiled.

He wasn't one to shrink in fear, but the murderous look on Emmett McCarty's face was enough to set his heart pounding.

"Rosalie, get into the car," he said calmly.

"Emmett, no way am I leaving –"

"Rosalie," Emmett said more forcefully, turning to his wife. She grumbled in acquiescence. She marched haughtily away, but not before turning to Edward. "Fuck you, Edward," she sneered. "Fuck. You."

When she was gone, Emmett turned his gaze to Edward. "You don't know what you're doing," Emmett said coldly. "You've got a great girl in Bella, and you go out and dance with trash like _that_?" Edward was speechless.

"Did I – Did I cheat on her?" Edward finally asked. The words pained him. He would go home and sign the divorce papers immediately if he did.

Emmett shook his head. "No. But you were pretty fucking close. What the hell were you thinking? Do you love Bella at all?"

Edward swallowed back tears, and didn't respond. He was still drunk, and he felt more vulnerable than ever as he stood facing the angry giant. Emmett shook his head, and began walking away.

"Emmett," Edward finally called out. Emmett turned to look at him. "Thank you," Edward said. "Thank you for stopping me." Emmett studied him for a moment longer. "Bella loves you," he finally said. "She has nightmares and she always calls for you." Edward's heart seemed to drop into his stomach. Terrible would have been an inadequate word to describe his feelings. He felt disgusting. Rosalie was right. His throat closed with emotion, but even if he wanted to say something to Emmett, he wouldn't have been able to. The man had disappeared.

Edward got his car and gave James everything that was in his wallet before he peeled out of the parking lot. He drove wildly, and knew at the back of his head that his driving was incredibly dangerous, but he didn't care. He felt too angry with himself to cry. He pulled into his driveway, and stormed into his home, slamming the door behind him. He wanted to tear his heart from his chest. He wanted to rail and scream and vent. He wanted to take out his anger and his frustration and his sadness on something, but there was no one to blame but himself. His actions had been a result of his choices.

"_Fuck_," he cried. His voice echoed around his empty house, and resonated in his ears. In a fit of blind frustration, he turned and punched the wall behind him. He felt pain shoot up his arm as the wall caved beneath his fist. He surveyed the damaged with a kind of satisfaction. He lifted his bruised knuckles to his inspection, and affirmed that he had broken his hand. He didn't care.

On the bureau beside him, directly below the hole he had created, lie the manila envelope that contained the papers that would sever all ties to his wife. It taunted him, telling him that he didn't deserve anyone even close to Bella. His hand ached to sign the papers and set her free once and for all, but that hand was broken, and couldn't lift up the papers, much less clutch a pen. He slumped down against the bureau, resting his head in his knees.

He wished desperately that Bella was here.

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**A/N: I must ask you all to have a little patience with our Edward, yes? I am of strong faith that he will redeem himself. Don't give up on him too soon. **

**In other news, I have FOUND A BETA! Wooo. Everybody give a warm, round of applause for Shinx1912!**

**As always, _beaucoup des bisous_.**


	8. Faithfully Release

**Let me just quickly say that if you decide at any point in this story that you don't like my writing or you have a problem with my plot, please dismiss yourself from my page and 'x' out your browser instead of leaving me hateful reviews. Adieu.**

**To the rest of my lovely reviewers/followers/favoriters, please ignore that little rant. I love the rest of you with every inch of this writing heart. xoxo**

**DISCLAIMER:** _Not mine, don't remind me :'(_

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**Edward's POV**

The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon when Edward finally left the hospital. He had, surprisingly, only bruised his hand, and cracked a knuckle. An injury much less worse than what he had expected. He drove unsteadily towards the looming building of Masen & Associates. He parked in the executive spot, as usual. He got into the elevator and used his card to swipe to the executive director suite, as usual. He breezed past Janice, the front desk secretary, tapping his hand on her desk in a warm 'good morning,' as usual. What was not usual, however, was the blaze of anger and determination that shone in his eyes. For the first day in 5 days, the office was greeted with a clean-shaven, sharp cut, well-dressed Edward Masen who walked with a confident gait. For Janice, it was a welcome change from the Edward who had drifted in and out of the door for the past few days. Edward entered his suite, and strode over to Victoria's desk.

"Victoria," he said sharply, demanding her attention. She looked up coyly, her eyes glinting with an old emotion that Edward refused to decipher. "Let me make things clear," he said firmly. "You are my _assistant_. You have no further duties than to help me with my office work. You are not my friend, you have no place in my home, and you certainly are not in a position to invite me to go anywhere with you ever again."

"Edward," she said calmly, innocently. "I don't know what this is all about. And what happened to your hand?"

Edward studied her for a moment.

"Call up Jacob Black," he finally said, after a moment of silence. "Put him through as soon as you get him."

With those words, he continued into his office and set his briefcase down. He stood for a moment, arms akimbo. He felt at a loss in his office. He stared at his desk, which he had left messy and disorganized. He sighed, and began the task of rearranging everything, and restoring general order to his office. Then he used his personal phone to call Alice. A wave of calm determination seemed to have settled over him, and it changed his outlook and behavior. To a certain extent, he felt indebted to Victoria for what she had done the night prior. Alice picked up on the third ring.

"Edward? Is everything alright?"

Alice sounded incredulous, and Edward was slightly miffed. He knew it had been a long time since he had called Alice or initiated contact with her, but that wasn't a reason for her to sound so concerned that he had called. _'Yes, it_ _is,'_ an annoying voice replied from deep within him. He ignored it.

"Everything is fine, Alice. Could you stop by my office sometime soon?"

Alice hesitated, no doubt put off by Edward's out of character invitation.

"Uh, sure? Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yes, everything is okay, Alice. Actually, do you mind meeting me at the SandWitch shop?"

He heard sheets shuffling in the background. "Sure," she said, trying to keep some emotion out of her voice. He heard a masculine grunt in the background, and it suddenly dawned on him that he might have interrupted something personal. The thought made him feel awkward.

"Uh, well, great, uh, I guess I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Edward."

Edward hung up, slightly shocked at the thought of his sister being intimate with Jasper. Alice was his little sister, and thinking of her doing 'grown up' things did not sit well with him. He checked his watch, and realized he had a meeting scheduled in a few minutes. Putting away thoughts of Alice, and gathering all pertinent documents into his briefcase, he stepped out of his office.

"Where are you going?" Victoria asked conversationally. Edward fought down the juvenile urge to say 'None of your business.'

"If you get through to Black, make an appointment for later today," he replied firmly, leaving no room for further discussion.

Victoria looked a little stung. "Edward, I didn't do anything you didn't want me to do," she said quietly. She looked smug. Edward turned and continued out of the suite and towards the conference room.

When he finally got out of the conference, he was smiling from ear to ear. It had gone exactly as he had wished it. He glanced at his watch, and decided he might as well head to SandWitch to meet Alice.

He walked into the small café, and spotted Alice immediately. The large, red hat she wore made it impossible to miss her.

She looked up and smiled when he approached. "Do you like my hat?" she asked, grinning.

Edward shook his head, but he couldn't keep the amusement off of his face. "You look ridiculous, he said as he sat down and put his briefcase on the seat beside him. Alice grinned as she took off the hat. As soon it was seated carefully beside her, she was all business.

"So what's going on?"

Edward sighed, and leaned forward as if he were proposing a business deal. "Alice," he said seriously. "I need you to help me get Bella back."

Alice looked confused. "I thought I told you that I didn't know what to do."

Edward nodded. "I know, but you can't be at more of a loss than I am. You're a woman, you know what it would take to get you back, don't you?"

Alice looked pensive. "But, I'm not Bella," she answered. "What I might like, she may not. Besides, we're not even that close. I don't know her as well as you do. If anyone would know what to do, it would be you."

A waitress interrupted them before Edward could say anything further. He didn't have much of an appetite, so he ordered a lemonade. Alice, on the other hand, ordered a large lunch, complete with a milkshake.

Edward chuckled when the waitress left. "It's almost like you're eating for two," he joked.

Alice flushed, and was suddenly unable to meet his eyes. Edward's jaw fell slack in shock.

"You're not eating for two...Are you?"

Alice bit her lip and nodded, joy evident in her eyes.

"Oh. Congratulations," Edward offered, slightly taken aback.

Alice let out a breath she seemed to be holding. "I'm not sure, though," she said slowly. "I haven't told Jasper. Last time this happened, I had a miscarriage, and Jasper was devastated. I can't do that to him again." Alice smiled wistfully as she rested her hand on her stomach. "I hope I carry this little one to term," she said, looking at her brother. But Edward looked like he was somewhere else.

"Edward?" Alice said softly, calling him back.

"I'm sorry, Alice," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry for being such a shitty brother." Edward sat back and ran a hand through his hair. He had neglected Bella, and he had neglected his family, too. He hadn't even realized that Alice had lost her first baby. "I'm so sorry, Alice," he repeated.

She smiled and patted his hand. "No worries," she said contentedly. "I understand. Jasper and I got through it. Besides, one more person giving me pitiful looks wouldn't have helped anything." Her laugh encouraged his, and soon, the somber mood that had fallen over the table was dispelled.

"But Edward," Alice said, suddenly concerned. "What happened to your hand?"

Edward looked at his hand, as if seeing it for the first time. He had completely forgotten about it. "Oh," he said slowly. "Nothing." He averted his eyes, and Alice took the hint. She didn't ask anything further.

The food came, interrupting a conversation about their mother's home, and Edward took the moment of silence to appreciate what it felt like to connect with his family again. Alice dug into her food with gusto, and looked up sheepishly between forkfuls.

"So," Edward said, playing with his straw. "Will you help me? With Bella, I mean."

Alice stopped eating. She swallowed the mouthful she had been working on, and shrugged. "I don't know," she said dubiously. "This isn't something you can just buy flowers and chocolates for and hope she forgives you. You have to take a different approach."

Edward nodded, suddenly hopeful. "You're right," he said with growing excitement. "And that's why I need you to help me."

Alice sighed. "Edward, I can't plan this out for you. Otherwise, it would be _me_ apologizing to Bella. It wouldn't be genuine and sincere and coming from you."

Edward nodded emphatically. "Of course," he replied. "I just need you to keep me on the right path."

Alice sighed again. "Alright," she said reluctantly. "I guess I can help you."

Edward grabbed her hand. "Thank you, Alice," he said sincerely. "You don't know what this means to me."

Alice tugged her hand away and laughed. "Okay, stop being gross, I'm hungry." Edward grinned as he watched her proceed to shovel food in her mouth. His phone beeped, and he glanced at it. Victoria had texted him that Jacob Black was going to be at his office in a few minutes.

"Look, Alice," he said, turning back to his sister. He was torn.

Alice smiled, and waved her hand. "Go on, go on," she said after she swallowed. "You have to learn to balance your time, not completely neglect your job." Edward grinned at his sister.

"Have I told you how much I appreciate you?" Edward asked.

Alice laughed. "Get out," she ordered.

"We'll talk later," Edward said as he grabbed his briefcase and left the café.

He got back into his office only minutes before Jacob Black and his assistant walked in. Victoria paged him over his intercom to let him know that they had arrived. The light flashed red for a few moments after she finished her statement, and he knew she was waiting for his customary 'Thanks, Victoria,' but he also knew that she wouldn't be receiving one. He hadn't been establishing clear lines between himself and Victoria as employer and employee, and he vowed to start now. He walked out of his office to welcome Jacob and the assistant in.

They spoke of their two companies, and the pro-forma that Jacob had sent. Edward had an overall good impression of the young Native American man, and could see him considering Jacob a friend. Jacob's phone suddenly vibrated, and he smiled sheepishly at Edward. "I'm sorry," he said, standing up. "I really need to take this."

Edward waved his hand, and Jacob left the room, leaving Edward to sit in an awkward silence with the assistant, whose name was discovered to be Sam. Jacob finally returned, smiling brightly.

"Good news?" Edward asked, pulling out a booklet and a contract for Mr. Black.

Jacob nodded. "A pretty brunette just called me back. She's gorgeous, man. I met her at a dance class."

Something struck Edward's heart, and he suddenly had to force the smile that he wore on his face. "A brunette?" he asked. "Which dance class?"

Jacob shrugged. "The really elite one? The famed Madame Pierselle teaches there, and my niece really wants to go there. So of course my sister begged me to go and put in a good word. I guess it was fortune, cause I walked in just in time to see her dancing."

The blood drained from Edward's face. Madame Pierselle. If Edward was correct, that was where Bella took ballet classes.

"She seemed too good to be true. So I'm really glad she called me. I kind of thought that she wouldn't. But this is too much information," Jacob said, laughing.

Edward had to work hard to keep the smile on his face. "What's her name?" he asked, straining to get the words out.

"Bella. I didn't get her last name though."

A slow anger began in the pit of Edward's stomach, and grew and spilled over into his chest. He felt his cheeks heat up with rage, and he had to swallow it all down through the remainder of the meeting. When Jacob finally got up to leave, Edward was glad he couldn't shake hands. He might have been tempted to engage in those childish tactics of gripping the other man's hand with more force than was strictly necessary.

When the door closed behind Jacob, Edward felt the wild urge to sweep everything off of his desk and throw a tantrum. His phone rang, and it suddenly reminded him of Victoria, and what he had done the night before. He felt like a hypocrite. He let the phone ring, and finally, Victoria hung up. Edward squeezed his eyes shut against the conflicting feelings that battled inside of him. He couldn't go on like this. He grabbed his keys and left everything behind as he stormed out of his office. He heard Victoria call after him, but he ignored her.

He drove like mad, and hoped that his hunch about Bella's location was the right one. No doubt that if he was wrong, he would be thrown out on his ass. He made a quick detour to his home, and grabbed the divorce papers. With an illegible scrawl made by his non-dominant hand, he signed them. He grabbed the bundle, threw them into the passenger's seat, and drove with a determination that shone in his features.

He pulled into the McCarty driveway, and slammed the car door shut after grabbing a hold of the bundle of papers. It was difficult to ring the bell and hold the papers in his hand, considering that one of his hands was currently out of service. Rosalie finally pulled the door open.

"What the fuck do you want?" she spat. Her eyes still burned with anger.

"I want to speak to Bella," he said calmly, not deterred.

"She doesn't want to speak to you," Rosalie countered.

"I _will_ speak to my wife, Rosalie," Edward answered, darkly. He didn't wait for her acquiescence as he breezed past her into the home. "Bella?" he called, looking for her.

Emmett greeted him instead. "Get out of my house," Emmett said steadily, clenching his fist as if getting ready to use it.

Determination made Edward courageous. "I want to speak to my wife," he reiterated, louder. "Bella?" he called again, ignoring the look on Emmett's face.

"Leave her alone," Rosalie cried as she approached him. "You're an asshole. You don't deserve her. You're a piece of shit!"

Edward didn't flinch. "You're right," he said, turning to face the woman who protected her best friend with the ferocity of a mother bear. "You're absolutely right. But don't I have the right to try to win her back?"

Rosalie's answer was quick and sharp. "No," she said, her eyes flashing brightly with rage. "You need to leave her alone, and let her move on to someone who actually cares about her. You didn't come for her for a week. What makes you think you can come here now?"

"I didn't know where she was," Edward replied, trying to defend himself.

"That's bullshit," Rosalie answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "You really are full of shit, you know that?"

Emmett stepped forward. "Edward," he said calmly. "It's best if you just leave."

"Wait."

A small voice spoke from the top of the stairs, and it stirred something in Edward. Bella descended. She looked tired, and her eyes were puffy. She had been crying. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore lounge pants and a plain shirt. She looked miserable, but something akin to strength shone in her eyes.

"Can I talk to him alone?" Bella asked, addressing the combative Rosalie, and her equally angry husband.

Rosalie eyed her for a minute, and an unspoken conversation passed between the two. Rosalie sighed, and glared at Edward before leaving the room. Emmett hesitated, but decided to follow his wife.

Bella stood at the foot of the stairs, almost as if holding herself away from Edward. It hurt him to see her like this. He wanted to take her into his arms, and restore the look of joy that had permanently etched itself into its features when he had first married her.

"I signed them," he said into the silence, studying her carefully as he spoke. Her expression was carefully controlled, and he couldn't tell if she was glad or saddened by the news. He swallowed before he continued, knowing that after he finished his side of the conversation, there would be no going back.

"I signed them," he repeated. "Jacob Black came into my office today, and he told me that you called him. I was so pissed off, Bella. I know I ruined our marriage, but when he told me that _you_ had called him and accepted his offer to go out, I realized that you don't think this can work. I don't even know if you want this to work. But I know what I want, and I'm going to show it to you. I'm setting you free, Bella. You got what you wanted. Whatever you ask for from the divorce, you can have it. I'm setting you free," he repeated as he stepped closer to her. "So when you choose me over Jacob, I'll know it's because I love you best, not because you're legally bound to me. Here." He pressed the envelope into her hands, and her large brown eyes looked up at him. They were filled with tears, but she didn't say anything.

She seemed to be studying him, and Edward stood unflinching under her gaze. He wanted to say more, explain to her why he had drifted away from her in the first place, and reassure her that he would be employing every tactic in the book to get her back. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him, but the silence of the moment seemed sacred, and he dared not open his mouth and violate it.

Suddenly, she closed the distance between them, and hugged him tightly. Without thinking, he returned the embrace, holding her to him like she was a life boat in the midst of a stormy sea. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. He savored the feel of her soft hair against his cheek, and her small body pressed against his. All too quickly, she let go, and stepped way from him.

"Good-bye, Edward," she said softly, wiping her cheeks of tears that had fallen.

Edward nodded, and watched as she walked back up the stairs.

Something told him that this wasn't good-bye forever.

* * *

**So how are you all feeling about this? Review, Review, Review!**

**Bisous :***


	9. Freshly Begin

Chapter 9: **Freshly Begin**

**Bella's POV**

"Bella, what are you doing?"

Rosalie was standing above her friend, her arms folded. Bella looked up at Rosalie with a sheepish grin on her face.

"I was thinking," she began. "Maybe I shouldn't go out with Jacob. I need to learn how to be alone, you know? Learn how to love myself."

Rosalie rose an eyebrow.

"That's complete bullshit and you know it. You've spent the past year and a half alone, and now you're finally legally free! Get dressed and go out with Jacob Black, _or else_."

"Rose, I don't know -"

Rosalie flicked her friend on the forehead firmly.

"What's wrong with you," she demanded, accentuating her words with flicks on the forehead. "Go. Have. Some. Fun."

Bella drew away and rubbed her forehead ruefully. She gave her friend a reproachful glance.

"Seriously, Bella," Rosalie said, sitting down and looking her friend in the eye. "You've been moping around her for an entire week. Not that I mind. It's just… I don't like seeing you this way. Jacob Black is a cute guy, and from what you've told me, he's already doing better than The Jerk. I think you should go out and give him a chance. Either that, or make it work with Edward."

Bella bit her lip.

"I _know_ you're not considering the latter choice," Rosalie said in a warning voice. Bella sighed.

"Alright, alright, jeez. I'll go, _mom_."

Rosalie grinned and patted her friend on the head.

"Good girl," she said as she stood up.

Bella dressed quickly. She had to admit, she was excited to go out again with someone who seemed to genuinely want to get to know her. It had been a while since she had done anything like that. Still, she missed Edward something fierce. She hadn't brought the signed divorce papers to her lawyer yet, and she had let Rosalie believe that her marriage with Edward was dissolved. She smoothed her floral summer dress over her stomach, and absentmindedly rubbed her stomach gently. A familiar ache started up again in her chest, and the usual ball of tears lodged itself in her throat. She wished violently that she could run back to Edward and have him wrap his arms around her. She wanted to tell him everything and be able to cry on his shoulder. She longed for his familiar scent, for the feeling of safety that he brought her. She missed him wildly, but the rational part of her mind told her that the Edward that she longed for no longer existed. She sighed, swallowed back tears, and reprimanded herself for being so stupid. She pulled on a pair of nude wedges, ran a comb through her hair and dabbed on some makeup.

She emerged from the guest room and wondered if there was any chance that she would be able to escape the Hale-McCarty residence without being seen.

"Fuck, Bella, you look amazing!"

Obviously not.

"Thanks, Rose," she replied with a blush. "You don't think it's too much?"

Rosalie studied her. "You're going out for lunch. I think it's completely appropriate."

At that moment, Emmett entered the room and embraced his wife from behind, planting a kiss on her neck before looking up at Bella. Bella tried to ignore the twang of jealousy that she felt for the couple's obvious admiration for each other.

"You look nice, Bella," Emmett offered, looking at his wife to see if that was the appropriate comment. Rosalie smiled and patted his hand. Bella grinned.

"Thanks," she replied. Her cell phone buzzed in her hand. "That's my date," Bella said, trying to laugh. She sounded nervous.

Rosalie detangled herself from her husband's embrace and gave Bella a reassuring squeeze.

"You're going to have so much fun," Rosalie said quietly. "You'll see."

"I hope you're right," Bella murmured before disengaging herself and leaving the McCarty residence.

* * *

Jacob took Bella to a cute little café called SandWitch. They sat towards the back of the lunch dive in a fairly secluded booth.

"Sorry about this place," Jacob grinned, motioning to the cheesy decorations around them. "It's definitely not St. Matin's."

Bella laughed and shook her head.

"No, this is absolutely great," she replied. "Though I feel a bit out of place, wearing wedges."

Jacob motioned to himself, he was dressed in business attire.

"That makes two of us," he laughed.

"Am I taking you away from work?" Bella asked, concerned.

"No, don't worry about it. I cleared my lunch schedule so I could hang out with you. You're definitely better company than stuffy men in suits," Jacob grinned.

A cute waitress came to take their orders. Bella ordered a vegetable burger, and on impulse, a milkshake. Jacob asked for 'the regular.'

"The regular?" Bella asked when the waitress walked away. "I wouldn't take you for a guy who frequents this place that often."

Jacob laughed. "A milkshake?" he replied.

"Touché," Bella replied, grinning.

She felt good. The conversation between Jacob and herself flowed lightly and was sprinkled with witty banter. She was immediately at ease with him, and found herself laughing more than she had in almost two years. 'The Regular' turned out to be a triple bacon cheeseburger with fried pickles. Bella had wrinkled her nose at the sight of the pickles, but Jacob encouraged her to try one. He fed her the salty treat with two fingers, much to the surprise of Bella. She found that she liked the pickles, and she also found that she could like Jacob as well. She had grinned, blushed, confirmed the deliciousness of the pickles, and then excused herself.

She headed to the front of the café, where the bathrooms were located, red in the cheeks and filled with conflicting emotions. In the bathroom, she ran cold water over her hands for a long time before pressing her cool hands to her cheek and neck. She took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. Though she was enjoying herself with Jacob, her interactions with him only made her miss Edward more. She could remember a time when she had spent an afternoon with Edward just like the one she was enjoying now. He had taken her to a pizzeria called Lucy's, and he had fed her a double onion dipped fry just like Jacob had fed her a fried pickle. The salt on her lips was reminiscent of the fry she had accepted from Edward, and the gentle brush of his finger against her lip.

Still, it had been different with Edward. Even when they had first started dating, there was a magnetic pull between the two of them. Electricity seemed to crack and snap between them, even when they were doing mundane things. She didn't feel that with Jacob now. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and wondered if she was doing the right thing.

Realizing that she had spent quite a long time in the bathroom, she hurried back to the table. Distracted, she bumped into someone and they reached out to stable her. Her apology was caught on her lips as her body recognized the familiar grasp and her eyes met familiar green ones.

"Edward," she breathed. It was almost as if a strong wind had knocked the strength out of her knees and robbed her of air. She took a step back and out of his grasp. She hadn't expected to see him so soon.

"Bella," he replied, staring at her as if he was a desert traveller and she was water. There was palpable tension between them, it wrapped itself around them like a snake, trapping them in a moment outside of the present.

"Mr. Cullen!" Jacob cried with the joviality of running into a good friend. "I see you've met the Bella I was talking about."

Edward's eyes never left Isabella's.

"It appears that I have," he replied slowly. Jacob grinned and turned to Bella, placing a warm hand on her arm.

"Some emergency meeting came up. Something about acquisitions and angry business men, you know how it can be," he said, laughing despite the disappointment in his eyes. Bella tore her gaze from Edward and looked up at Jacob. She smiled.

"Go ahead," she replied warmly. "Do what you have to do." Jacob squeezed her arm gently.

"Do you have a ride back home?" he asked quietly. "I can drop you off before I go."

"No," Bella assured him. "You'll be late. I'll call Rosalie and she'll pick me up. Don't worry about it."

Jacob grinned. Before Bella could do anything, he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"I'll call you later," he murmured into her ear before he straightened. "Good to see you," he said to Edward, putting on a friendly smile. Edward tried to smile back, but it looked more like a grimace. With that, Jacob left the café.

Bella's gaze followed him until he slid into his car and left.

"Isabella," Edward said softly. "Can we talk?"

She looked back at him as if realizing, for the first time, that he was there.

She shook her head slowly. "I don't think that's a good idea," she began.

Edward laced his fingers around her wrist.

"Do you want this - us - to work out, or not?" he demanded, his eyes pleading with her.

She stared at him. Studied him. His gaze seemed sincere.

"Tell me, Isabella. Tell me what you want. Is there any part of you that wants to work on us? Is there even the slightest hope that we'll fix this? I love you. I'm still in love with you. I still want to make this work. But I don't want to force you to do something that you don't want to. If you want to be with Jacob - if you'll be happy with Jacob, then I'll give you that. I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. I'll leave you alone for good, Bella, if that's what you want."

She bit her lip. She wanted to say no. All it would take to rid her life of him for ever was a firm shake of the head. A firm 'no.' Then he would be gone. Edward would be gone forever.

Edward would be gone forever.

"Yes, Edward," she said in a voice so soft she could barely hear herself. She closed her eyes. "Yes. I do want us to work out."


	10. Coldly Reminisce

Chapter 10: **Coldly Reminisce**

**Bella's POV**

Bella was in Edward's car. He was supposed to drive her home, but he had to stop for gas. Then, of course, she had spied her favorite ice cream shop, and now they were sitting in his car, scooping ice cream out of wax-lined cups. Bella was pretty sure that Rosalie would kill her if she saw her like this.

"So, Jacob Black, huh?" Edward ventured, taking a spoonful of rum raisin out of his cup and studying it. He was trying to avoid Bella's face.

"Do you really want to talk about this?" Bella asked, crushing a brownie into her cake batter ice cream. Edward was silent for a moment. Bella licked the ice cream from the bottom of her spoon before putting it into her mouth, savoring the thick chocolate taste.

"Yeah, I do," Edward finally replied. "Do you like him?"

Bella shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"This is the first time I've gone out with him," she replied. Edward stared at her.

"Do you mean that you're going to go out with him again?" he asked. Bella couldn't tell if it was jealousy, anger, apprehension, resignation, or disappointment that cloaked his words, but she didn't want to look too deeply into it. She scooped another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and remained silent. Edward dropped his spoon into his cup and put the cup into the cup holder. He took a deep breath.

"I went out clubbing a few nights ago. With Victoria," he said.

Bella's heart skipped a beat, and she bit down on her lip to keep from reacting.

"Rosalie and Emmett were there," Edward plowed on. "Emmett stopped me from doing something really terrible. It made me realize that I don't deserve you, Bella. You'd probably be happier with Jacob than with me. But I'm selfish, and I love you too much to…" he trailed off and looked away. The car was silent for a moment.

"Did you?" Bella asked softly, scraping the bottom of her cup.

"Did I what?" Edward asked, turning to look at her.

"Did you cheat on me? With Victoria?" Bella asked, looking him in the eye. She didn't know what answer he would give, and she didn't know if she would believe him regardless. Still, she wanted to hear from his own mouth. Her heart beat hard in her chest.

"God, _no_, Bella. No. I didn't," he replied, sincerity shining brightly in his eyes.

"Did you ever?" she asked again. "With anyone?"

"_No, _Bella. I've never cheated on you, with Victoria or anyone else."

"Okay," Bella replied, dropping her spoon into her cup and placing it in the cup holder next to Edward's.

"I know that I was away a lot. Hell, I was away most of the time. But I've never been unfaithful to you, Bella," he said. "I could never -"

"I said okay," she interrupted him. She fought the urge to leap out of the car and walk back to Rosalie's place.

"Okay?" he repeated. "You believe me?"

"I believe you," she confirmed. And she did. She had to. Edward flexed his jaw and ran his hand through his hair in the way that he did when he was frustrated. It was an almost torturous motion, a simultaneous tugging and twisting that left his hair a disheveled mess. Bella looked away. He started the engine.

"I want to take you somewhere," he said suddenly.

"Don't you have to get back to work?" Bella asked quietly. Edward looked at her for a long time.

"No," he finally replied. "I don't."

* * *

Edward took her to the park where they had gone after he had found out about his father's death. Bella glanced at him as he smoothly pulled the car into a parking spot. He looked focused on something, and by the tension in his jaw, it was something troubling. Bella bit her lip. She wished she could reach over and lean his chair back and make the tension disappear the way she had done several years before. She wished she could reach out to him and ease whatever pain he was struggling with, but then she reminded herself that she was struggling with pain, too. She had been struggling for a year and a half, and he had never reached out to her. She steeled herself and got out of the car.

They walked to a secluded pond in the heart of the park, where no one visited except the ducks. There, it felt like they were completely alone in the world, surrounded with trees and nature and silence. The gray brick wall that they used to sit on was still there, albeit looking a little beaten. Reflexively, Edward grasped her by her waist and gently boosted her up to the wall. The action was so smooth, so fluid, that Bella could see that he didn't think twice before doing it. He hadn't even realized what he had done, so lost was he in his own thoughts. Bella, however, was acutely aware of the action. She could still feel the warmth of his hands on her skin through her dress. She looked out at the pond.

Edward boosted himself up on the wall and sat next to her.

"Do you remember the first time we came here?" he said into the silence. Bella nodded.

"Your father had died," she replied gently. Edward nodded and swallowed.

"He was a bastard," Edward said with a dry laugh. "Sometimes I think that I would've been better off if I'd been born to another family. Then he went and died and laid the burden of his empire on my weak shoulders."

Bella looked at him. His jaw was tight and he was looking over the pond. He swallowed thickly.

"Your shoulders aren't weak," Bella said gently, at a loss. Her hand itched to grasp his to comfort him, but she knew that if she initiated physical contact, she wouldn't be able to stop touching him. He looked down at her. His eyes shone brightly with unshed tears.

"You know, my little sister had a miscarriage, and I didn't find out about it until yesterday?" he said, sounding like he was unloading some great burden from his chest. Bella didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered.

"That's what I told her too," he said, looking away from Bella. "'I'm sorry.' It seems like that's the only thing I've been saying. To Alice, to you. And for what? People I don't like? A job I don't want? For Carlisle?" He turned back to Bella, anguish in his eyes. "I'm turning into him, Bella. I don't know how to stop it."

Bella swallowed hard. His anguish tore at her.

"I-I'm sorry," he said suddenly, looking down into his lap. He chuckled. "There it is again, huh?"

Bella smiled softly.

"You're doing what you have to do," Bella replied, surprising herself. "He would be proud if he lived to see this day."

"Proud of what?" Edward asked softly, looking back at Bella. She couldn't answer him. She dropped her gaze. He looked back over the pond.

"I used to be happy," Edward said after a moment of silence. He smiled faintly. "I composed piano pieces all of the time. I studied business because I actually liked it. I had _you_. I don't know when all of that changed."

Bella bit her lip.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Edward," she finally said softly. "Do you want me to apologize for leaving you? To say that I don't need as much attention as your job does? To say that I'm going to be happy living in an empty house and seeing you only when we accidentally run into each other on the mornings that you're coming in late and I'm leaving?"

Edward was silent.

"Do you really miss me, Edward?" Bella asked softly.

Edward sharply drew his gaze to hers. "Yes," he replied firmly.

"What part of me?" she asked quietly. "Did you start missing me last week when I asked for a divorce, or last year when you first started disappearing? What part of me do you miss?"

Edward was silent. There was tumult in his eyes, and his jaw was tense again. Bella smiled sadly.

"Do you miss me, or the idea of me?"

Edward tore his gaze away from her and ran his hand through his hair, twisting and tugging. Bella closed her eyes against the wave of angst that suddenly hit her. She breathed through her nose to keep the tears from spilling. She jumped down from the wall.

"I'm going to Rosalie's now," she said quietly. "Good bye, Edward."

He gave no answer. Bella walked towards the exit of the park, and called Rosalie.

"Bella? What's up babe?"

"Rose? I'm at the park." Bella gasped into the phone. "Can you come get me?" Her voice cracked, and before she was able to stop it, tears flowed freely from her eyes, dampening her cheeks and threatening to double her over.

"What the hell, Bella!" Rosalie exclaimed. "I'm on my way."

When Rosalie pulled up to the curb four minutes later, Bella glanced out of the window, ignoring Rosalie's barrage of questions. Edward's lone figure was still perched up on the wall, unmoving. Bella wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to her friend.

"Can we just go, please?" she begged. Rosalie studied her for a brief moment before shaking her head and pulling away from the curb.


	11. Serendipitously Occur

Chapter 11: **Serendipitously Occur****  
**

**Edward's POV**

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was so stupid. Edward Stupid Cullen. Bella had given him a chance to tell her everything, and he had frozen. Stupid. So stupid. Incredibly stupid. He wanted to tie a rock to his leg and throw himself into the pond. She had given him such a great opportunity today and he had completely and utterly blown it. If he had taken one step forward with their relationship, he had just taken at least 50 million steps backwards.

Stupid.

So, very, incredibly, mind-bogglingly stupid.

He ran his hand violently through his hair, before he finally pulled out his phone and called Alice. She picked up on the third ring.

"Edward!" She sounded happy to hear from him. He would've grinned if he wasn't so occupied with hating himself.

"Alice," he groaned, fighting the wave of self-hatred that rose up in him.

"Oh no, what's happened?" she demanded.

"I took Isabella to the park today," he began.

"And…?" Alice demanded. "What happened?"

"She asked me what I missed about her…"

"Well, what did you say, Edward? Did you tell her?"

"Alice, I froze. I didn't say anything. I let her walk away from me."

"Oh," Alice said softly. There was a long pause. "Edward -"

"I know. I'm so stupid. This was exactly the moment I needed and I completely blew it. I'm such a fuck up, Alice. And what's worse, I can't find it in myself to let her go. I told her I would let her go if that would make her happy, but I knew, I _knew_, that I wouldn't be able to. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Oh, Edward," Alice said mournfully. "There's nothing wrong with you, per say. You're obviously an idiot, but most men are. You're an idiot in love, so that makes it doubly bad."

"What do I do?" Edward demanded in a frenzied voice.

"First, stop yanking at your hair," Alice instructed firmly. "Bella may still like you if you're bald, but I wouldn't take that chance."

Obediently, Edward's hand slipped from his hair and dropped uselessly in his lap.

"Secondly, you have to _tell her_. Immediately. Tell her what you miss about her, as soon as you possibly can. Otherwise, she might think that you made it up in the time you spent away from her."

"How am I going to do that?" Edward moaned. "Rosalie probably won't let me get within 30 miles of her now. And even if I get past Rosalie, Emmett will beat me to a pulp before I can explain."

Alice was silent, trying to find a solution to this new problem.

"Oh, Edward," Alice finally said. "I don't know. I wish I knew, but I don't. For now, why don't you go home and sleep. Maybe the morning will bring an idea."

Edward sighed, a desolate sound.

"Alright, Alice. Thanks."

He moved like a zombie after he disconnected. The moon had risen, and the inky black night resembled his mood very closely.

At home, he laid in bed, tortured. Sleep evaded him, and all he could see was Bella's face when he hadn't answered her. He got up and paced the room, trying to figure out what to do. He paced and wondered until gray morning came, and brought no answers. His eyes felt grainy, and he had a headache. He picked up his phone and called Victoria to tell her that he wouldn't be going in that day.

"You're taking a lot of time off, recently." Victoria replied. "You got the bandage off of your hand yesterday morning. What else could you be taking time off for?"

Edward hung up on her.

He laid down again, but still, he could not sleep. He needed to find a solution, or Bella would be lost to him forever. He was desperate. Even a bad idea would've been a good one, but he had no ideas, and that was driving him mad.

His phone rang later that afternoon, jolting him out of a light sleep.

"Edward?"

It was Alice. She sounded excited.

"Edward, I have great news!"

"What is it?"

"Do you remember where Isabella does ballet?"

Edward rubbed his eyes and racked his brains.

"Madame Pier-something?"

"Madame Pierselle, Edward! I'd suggest you learn her name because she's going to help you get Bella back!"

Edward sat up, more alert now.

"What do you mean, Alice? Don't bait me."

Alice laughed.

"So you know how Madame Pierselle came here because her husband wanted to have an affair with Carla?"

"…No?"

"God, Edward, life is more than just mergers and acquisitions!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "So when are you going to get to the part about her helping me get Bella back."

"I'm getting there! Monsieur Pierselle, Madame Pierselle's husband, _just married Carla_! That means Madame Pierselle is no longer Madame Pierselle. She's Madame Babineaux, and she's _broke!_" Alice let out a squeal of joy.

"This all sounds pretty sad, and I don't see how this is going to help me get Bella back."

Alice cleared her throat.

"It hasn't been formally announced yet, but, Madame Babineaux is going to have to turn to some common ways of garnering support for a ballet company," she explained. "She's going to throw a charity ball with the last of the funds that Monsieur Pierselle has left her to raise some money, and then she is taking all of her dancers on a west coast tour! There's talk that she will fly to the east coast to hit some major cities there, but for now, the only thing that has been confirmed is the west coast tour."

"Alice, that's actually horrible news," Edward replied. "If Bella goes on these tours, she might be gone for the next two years. Should I set up an anonymous donor account with Babineaux? Is that what you're saying?"

"Boy, you sure are dumb," Alice replied, sounding exasperated. "If you set up an anonymous donor account, Babineaux will stay here, and nothing will change. _But_, if you help Babineaux with transportation and lodging for her west coast tour, she'll be so indebted to you that she'll let you tag along! Are you seeing where I'm going with this?"

"If I tag along, and I make transportation arrangements, I can spend more time with Bella," Edward filled in, excitement bubbling up within him like a spring. "Alice, are you a miracle worker?"

Alice laughed, a clear tinkling sound. She was obviously very pleased with herself.

"Listen," she said after her excitement had subsided. "You can't botch this. You've got to do this well. No more idiot moves."

"How am I going to take an entire year off of work?" Edward suddenly demanded.

"I'll take care of work," Alice replied. "Dad never meant for you to carry the burden of Masen & Associates on your own," she said quietly. "You have me, and I have Jasper."

"Alice…" Edward said. He was incredibly unsure. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many things that could backfire.

"Do you want Bella back or not?" Alice demanded.

"Of course I do, but -"

"No buts, Edward. There are more important things than the business. Besides, you aren't getting off _that_ easily. You'll bring your laptop so you can video chat into conferences and read over things that I'm not sure about. You'll still be working, just… less. You need this, Edward. You and Bella need this."

"How am I going to get Bella to go?" Edward demanded. "Once she finds out that I'm funding the tour, she'll drop out."

"Babineaux absolutely will not let that happen," Alice said firmly. "Besides, Bella has put so many hours into Babineaux's program. She's not going to quit just because of you."

Edward sighed. He was taking a risk, but a cautious excitement rose in him again.

"Will Babineaux accept my money?" He finally asked. He could hear Alice's grin over the phone.

"Edward, she already has."

* * *

**Ah, at last, the Road Trip that you guys have been asking for. Why did you ever doubt me? ;)**


	12. Accidentally Ignite

Chapter 12: **Accidentally Ignite****  
**

**Bella's POV**

It had been a week since she had walked away from Edward, and she hadn't stopped thinking about him. Jacob had taken her on dates every day for the past week. In fact, they were leaning against a railing overlooking the shore right now, and still, her thoughts wandered to Edward.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob asked quietly. The moon was out and the sky was clear. The only sound for miles around was the soft sigh of the ocean as it reunited with the shore. Bella smiled to herself.

"How perfect tonight is," Bella said softly. "The moon, the ocean…"

"The company," Jacob filled in. Bella dropped her gaze to his. A quiet smile played at Jacob's lips, but his dark eyes were serious. He straightened his frame. "I'm really glad that I'm here with you right now, Bella," he said. The smile fell from his lips.

"Jacob," Bella sighed.

He lifted a hand to her face, cupped her cheek, tunneled his fingers into her hair. He drew closer and closer to her until her vision blurred and she was forced to close her eyes. He kissed her softly.

Once.

Twice.

His lips were gentle, so when he parted them, Bella mimicked the action. His other hand rested itself gently on her hip, drawing her nearer. Her hands grasped at the chest of his shirt.

"Bella," he breathed. "What are you doing to me?"

_What are you doing to me?_

Green eyes and coppery hair glinting in lazy sunlight. Reno. _Bella, what are you doing to me?_ Gentle fingers, molding soft skin, pounding soft symphonies. Edward, Edward. _What are you doing to me?_

Bella gasped and drew away from Jacob, her heart pounding in her throat. She could feel the ghost touch of fingers and lips that did not belong to the man standing in front of her. She swallowed hard.

"Bella?" Jacob questioned, peering at her face in the pale moonlight. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?"

Bella grinned nervously and tried to will her heart to beat regularly.

"No, no," she insisted. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

The crease of concern between Jacob's brows unraveled itself. He drew her underneath his shoulder.

"Let's get you home, then."

Bella grinned up at him, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She didn't belong here with Jacob. She belonged with Edward. She would always belong with Edward.

* * *

Jacob turned off the engine and they sat in a momentary silence in front of Rosalie's house. Soft strains of _Sweet Alabama_ filtered through the radio, and Jacob turned to look Bella in the eye.

"You know," he said. "When I first came here, to Seattle, I thought I was going to hate it." Bella giggled.

"Seattle is quite boring," she replied solemnly. "Especially for a hot shot guy from New York." Jacob grinned and primped himself. Bella rolled her eyes.

"No, seriously," he said, when their jokes had subsided. "I thought I was going to hate this place. And don't get me wrong, Seattle isn't my favorite place to be. But when I'm with you… the Empire State doesn't compare."

Bella blushed profusely.

"Jacob," she said slowly. "I wasn't going to tell you this tonight, because I didn't want to ruin the mood…"

"Oh god. Are you going to tell me that you're a lesbian?" he demanded, his tone completely serious, but his eyes were twinkling. Bella laughed and hit him.

"No," she exclaimed. "I am very much a hetero. But…"

"But?" Jacob prodded. Bella sighed.

"Have you heard about Madame Pierselle?" Bella asked.

"You mean Madame Babineaux," Jacob corrected. Bella smiled and nodded.

"So you know," she said quietly.

"I do," Jacob replied. "I was going to ignore it. It sucks that you'll be leaving for so long just as we've begun to get to know each other."

Bella frowned.

"I wouldn't leave here, but…" Bella sighed. Jacob nodded, and grasped her hands in his.

"Madame Babineaux is important to you," Jacob said softly. "You've put in so many hours at her company. You wouldn't be the Bella I know and love if you didn't go."

Bella smiled up at the man seated beside her. If it had been another world, or another time, or another place, she would've chosen Jacob in a heartbeat. He was everything that Edward had been when they first started dating, and more. She bit her lip.

"And it'll be good to get away," she confessed. "I've lived in Washington all of my life. I'm excited to finally get out of here."

"Be careful what you wish for," Jacob teased. "The world outside of Seattle is beautiful and you may never want to come back."

Bella grinned. In truth, she was excited to have some time away from Edward. Time to think things through, and maybe convince herself to think of Jacob as more than just a good friend.

"Come to the charity ball with me," Bella blurted. Jacob looked surprised.

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked. "Jessica -"

"She'll be pissed," Bella giggled. "But she'll get over it. Come with me."

Jacob grinned, his dimples showing out in full force.

"You know I could never refuse you anything," he replied in a voice that hinted that he was being serious. "It's tomorrow night, right?"

Bella nodded. Jacob grinned.

"Great," he said. "Now you'd better get going before Rosalie comes out here and beats me up for keeping you out so long." Bella looked towards the house. The unmistakable shadow of Rosalie spying on them through the curtains made her laugh. She bit her lip and opened the door.

"Pick me up at 8?" she asked. Jacob grinned.

"Wouldn't miss it."

* * *

"Bella, if you take the nude one, you'll look like a grandma," Rosalie warned as Bella tried to decide between two gowns.

"Rose, the red one is so _you._ I'll look terrible in it."

Rosalie clutched at the red dress. It was a slim number with a deep neckline that ended right above the wearer's belly button. It was practically made for someone like Rosalie. She rubbed her face against it.

"My precious," she whispered. Bella chuckled and rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.

The ivory dress, however, was just up Bella's alley. She nodded to the boutique worker and the woman immediately unhooked the dress and brought it to Bella's dressing room.

"You're going to regret it," Rosalie warned as Bella followed the dress. Bella lovingly gave her friend the finger.

The dress fit better than Bella could've ever hoped for. The entire top was made of lace, and tucked in snugly at her waist before falling elegantly to the floor. The off the shoulder sleeves highlighted her gentle collarbones and her long neck. She stepped out of the dressing room. Rosalie looked her up and down before clicking her tongue.

"You look like a totally hot Queen Anne," she finally said. Bella laughed. She was taking the dress.

Later that evening, Bella packed her tights, ballet shoes, and her simple black and purple costume. She would be performing an excerpt from Sleeping Beauty at the opening of the ball, and she would later change into the dress that Rosalie had come to love. For now, she pulled on leggings, sneakers and an oversized sweater to minimize the number of outfit changes she would need.

When Jacob came to pick her up at 8, he was dressed in a three piece tuxedo, with his hair slicked back. He chatted idly with Emmett while he waited for Bella to descend. The expression of shock on his face at seeing Bella, bare faced, and dressed in sweats was hilarious.

"Did we decide that we're not going anymore?" Jacob asked, looking from Emmett to Rosalie to Bella.

"No," Bella replied through a grin that made her cheeks hurt. "We're still going."

Jacob looked at Emmett for a clue. Emmett shrugged.

"I guess I'm grossly overdressed, then," he finally said.

"I'm performing first," Bella finally explained. "You look wonderful." Jacob grinned at her compliment.

"We'd better get going," Bella said, glancing at the clock. "I don't want to be late."

Bella said her goodbyes to Rosalie and Emmett, and moments later, they were on their way.

Bella played the role of Maleficient. It was fun to step out of reality and channel something darker within her to play the character. Every time she was on stage, she reached into a place deep inside her where she kept her anger towards Edward. The scene they performed ended where Briar Rose pricked her finger on the witch's spindle. The lights faded on the thunderous applause of the crowd. Bella couldn't keep down the happiness that bubbled up inside of her. Ballet had always been a constant in her life, and to this day, it brought her joy.

She followed the dancers back stage, and quickly ducked into her dressing room. She grabbed a bottle of water before sitting down at her bureau to start the process of removing the dark, thick layers of makeup that had been painted on her. Someone knocked at her door. She grinned. It was probably Jacob, hoping to congratulate her on her performance. She dropped the make up remover pad before she had the chance to take make up off of her face, and pulled open the door. Her heart jumped into her throat.

Edward stood there, his hair looking less tame then tousled, in a well fitting suit, carrying an extremely large bouquet of red roses. She stared at him, wordless, adrenaline still pumping through her system from her performance, and a war rising up in her stomach.

"You were amazing," Edward said gently, offering her the bouquet. She took them without breaking eye contact. Her heart refused to stop pounding. She felt light, almost as if she could leap up and fly away. She was still on a performance high, and the ever present electricity that snapped sharply between herself and Edward was heightening her emotions.

"Thank you," she finally said.

"You asked me what I missed about you," Edward continued. A heat of sincerity burned in his green eyes, scalding her with its intensity. "I miss you whenever I'm not with you. Even when I'm looking at a merger, or talking to an irate partner, I'm missing you."

He stepped closer to her, never breaking eye contact. She was frozen in place, holding the bouquet of roses between them like a shield.

"I miss the way your eyes light up when you see something that you're pleased with. I miss the way you bite on your lip when you're unsure or nervous."

He took another step towards her. Her brain was telling her feet to move, to run, but her body refused to comply.

"I miss the way that your eyes widen when I say something that you weren't expecting, and the way that your lips pucker just before you tell me a secret. I miss the way your eyelids flutter closed right before you take a bite of cake batter ice cream with brownie bits." He took another step closer. They were chest to chest now, the bouquet crushed between them.

"And when you orgasm," he whispered. A shudder went down her spine. She swallowed and composed herself.

"Edward," she said. She could barely hear her own voice over the rush of blood in her ears and the excitement that was palpable at being this close to him. He felt familiar. He felt right. She took a step back.

"But most importantly, I miss the way I used to know you," Edward plowed on. "I miss the way you would look up from whatever you were doing and smile when I got home. I miss the way you would tell me about what you did that day, about the new charity you discovered or about the new ballet you would perform. I miss the way you'd nag me to pick up my socks and to use my my own tooth brush, which shouldn't be as difficult as it was because mine was always blue. I miss the way you'd jump out of bed to turn off the light and then press your cold feet onto my warm ones. I miss the way you'd hide my briefcase on weekends so I'd be behind on my work. I miss the way you'd use those tiny, ineffectual fists to pummel me when I lost the remote _again_. I miss buying you cupcakes and chocolates and tampons and telling you that I'd love you even if you gained six hundred pounds and I had to call a pick up truck just to hoist you out of the house. I miss you. I miss _you_, Isabella, not the idea of you. God knows I miss you."

Edward had advanced again, and they were chest to chest. His hands were cupping her face gently, as if he were handling porcelain, while her fingernails were digging into the cellophane wrapping of the roses. She wasn't sure what happened next, if she had drawn him to her or tried to push him way, but the next thing she knew was that his lips were on hers and there was fire racing across her skin.

The roses fell, ignored, to the floor and her hands found purchase in his hair, tugging gently at his scalp in the way that she knew drove him crazy. Her body behaved before her mind could catch up, opening up to him and giving herself completely to him. His mouth was hot on hers, his fingers had fallen from her face and were pounding their familiar concerto into her skin, driving her wild with fondness. He lifted her like she weighed nothing, and dropped her none too gently on her bureau, sending make up, lotions and liquids flying. Her back slammed into the glass and it trembled but did not break. Her legs were wrapped around him, and he was grinding his pelvis into hers. They were frantic, now, as if they were running out of time, as if they were in danger of being torn apart. She wanted to touch every part of him, to feel him under her fingertips. The tautness of his muscles, the smoothness of his jaw, the firmness of his abdomen. She wanted to pull and be pulled at, to be made completely his. She wanted - needed - to be closer, closer, ever closer. His lips were dropping to her neck, kissing, nibbling, dancing at her threshold of pain before whisking her away to the valleys of pleasure. His fingers were explorers, tunneling under her tights, under her costume, flesh on flesh. She was hot everywhere. She was parched and he was water. She need him. Copper and emeralds, chocolate and pale skin. Edward. Edward.

"Bella?"

Suddenly, her brain finally gained control of her body. It was as if a bucket of freezing cold water had been overturned on her. Panting, she pulled away from Edward. Piercing green eyes looked into her, seeing her through her make up. She dragged her gaze away from his and towards the intruder. It was Jessica, and she looked absolutely delighted.

"I don't mean to interrupt," she said, beaming. She was checking Edward out, taking in the scene; Edward between Bella's legs, and Bella pinned up against the mirror. Two hormonal teenagers caught in a back staircase.

"Madame Babineaux is looking for you," Jessica finally giggled. "Everyone wants to meet you."

Bella cleared her throat.

"I, uh, I'll be right there," she said. Jessica grinned and winked.

"By all means, take your time, girl." Jessica disappeared, closing the door firmly behind her. Still breathing hard, Bella looked back at Edward. Her makeup was all over his face. His lips were dark and slightly bruised. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were gleaming. She was sure she didn't look any better.

"This was a mistake," she said firmly.

* * *

**Uh-oh….**

**Can't wait to hear how you all feel about this! ^_^**


	13. Blindly Propose

Chapter 13: **Blindly Propose**

**Edward's POV**

Edward doused his face in cold water again. Water dripped from his nose as he watched the rest of the make-up colored water swirl and disappear down the drain. He grabbed some low quality napkins and dried his face as best as he could. The collar of his tux was damp, but there was nothing to be done for that.

_This was a mistake._

He hadn't meant to kiss Bella. He hadn't intended on taking it as far as he had - but she was irresistible, and he had always been weak when it came to her. He dried his hands and vowed to take things slowly with her. He wanted her to want him as badly as he wanted her. He wanted her to come to her on her own accord, not because she had jumped her bones like a horny teenager.

His own actions put him back a couple of steps. She would be even more on her guard now.

"Edward!"

Jacob Black entered the bathroom with his signature grin. Jacob caught Edward's startled look before Edward could hide it. He gave Edward a knowing look as he headed to the nearest urinal.

"I see you've already got some," Jacob said casually.

"What?" Edward asked, surprised. Jacob looked over his shoulder. He chuckled and looked back down at his business.

"Who was the lucky girl?" he asked. Edward stared at the back of his head.

"I-I really don't know what you're talking about," Edward replied, clearing his throat. Jacob zipped up his pants and walked to the sink, grinning a knowing grin the entire way.

"Alright, play it that way," he replied. "But just know, I'm not judging you. Those ballerinas," he let out a low whistle. "And can you imagine how flexible they are in bed? And _Bella_," he emphasized. "She can grand jété onto my di-"

"I'll see you outside," Edward cut him off, quickly. His fingers itched to curl into fist and pummel the Native American before him, but somehow, he was positive that his idea wouldn't go over well with Bella. Before Jacob could open his mouth and make another crass comment, Edward ducked out of the bathroom, even more determined than ever to win Bella back.

* * *

"Edward!" Alice exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of her brother. She was clinging to her husband, and despite looking quite pregnant, was teetering precariously on very tall, very thin heels. Edward rubbed his jaw and made his way over to her.

"Alice," he greeted his sister, kissing both of her cheeks. He nodded to Jasper. The quiet man nodded back, kissed his wife's hand, and then disappeared.

"Are you sure those are safe?" Edward asked, eyeing the glittery shoes.

"Safe?" Alice demanded. "Edward don't be stupid, there isn't a woman in the world who wears Louboutin to be _safe_!"

Edward grinned at his sister.

"But seriously, Alice," he said gently. "You look good. And not because of those deadly shoes."

Alice beamed at him and caressed her stomach.

"I love her already," she said softly. She looked up at Edward the way she used to when they were much younger, eyes wide and full of innocence.

"I'm scared that I'll lose her, Edward," she suddenly confessed, her eyes filling with tears. "I've already named her and everything. I even know what she's going to eat for breakfast when she starts eating solid foods!"

Edward couldn't help it. He chuckled. Alice glared at him reproachfully, and then finally burst into a fit of giggles herself. She brushed away tears.

"Look at me, ruining my makeup," she chided herself. Edward sighed and enveloped his sister into a hug. Even pregnant, she was still tiny. He kissed the top of her head.

"I can't promise that you'll carry her to term," Edward finally said in a low voice. "But I can promise that whatever happens, you'll get through it with Jasper. With me. And I know you're going to be a great mother one day."

Alice sniffed again and drew away from her brother.

"God, Edward, you're making me _cry_!" she exclaimed, smiling. "When did you become such a great big brother?"

Edward winked at her.

"If you think my big brother is great, wait until you see my 'uncle'," he replied. Alice giggled and hit him.

"Okay, come on," Alice said, after she wiped more tears from her eyes. "Bring me to Jasper. But walk me around first so everyone can see my dress and compliment my shoes."

Edward rolled his eyes as Alice grabbed his arm. Some things would never change.

"Thank you for bringing my lady back to me nice and safe," Jasper drawled when Edward let her hand slip from his.

"Just make sure she stays safe on those stilts of hers," Edward warned, giving his sister a hard look. Alice didn't notice him, however. Everyone and everything ceased to exist for her when Jasper was around. Already, she had tottered away from Edward and wrapped herself around her husband. Edward smiled at the couple, but couldn't ignore the pang of jealousy he felt. He remembered when he and Bella had been the same way.

He excused himself, and made a beeline for the bar.

"Tonic," he signaled to the bartender who nodded and immediately served him the drink.

"Edward," a familiar voice purred. "What brings you here?"

Edward downed his drink before he had the energy to face the newcomer.

"Victoria," he said dryly. "I'd say it was coincidence running into you here, but you don't really do coincidences, do you?"

The woman, Edward had to admit, was striking. She wore a slim fitting black dress with wide shoulders. Her red hair stood in stark contrast to the rest of her outfit. Her green eyes twinkled with mirth, but her noble features wore a mask of offense.

"Edward," she replied coyly, slinking closer to him. "What happened between us was something natural. We simply satisfied our innate desires," she said. "But, if I haven't apologized yet, I'm sorry."

Edward gave her a hard look.

"That didn't happen, Victoria," he replied. He intended for his voice to sound cold and final, but he sounded tired instead.

"But didn't it?" She rose her eyebrow and pursed her lips. He hesitated for a moment. He didn't cheat on Bella. He was sure of it.

"Victoria," He opened his mouth to give her a response, but his words stuck in his throat.

Across the room, Bella emerged like the sun behind the clouds. She was dressed in a slim creme number, with a lace top. Her hair was curled, and fell down around her neck. It had grown since he had last seen her. She was smiling at someone, probably thanking them for their praise. She was radiant. Her pale skin was glowing with a soft blush.

"Edward?" Victoria asked. "What were you saying?"

Bella looked up at that moment. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, it was like they were the only two people in the world. Even from across the room, her pull on him was as strong as ever. Jacob Black approached her from her left. He leaned in close and whispered a few words in her ear. She blushed deeply, and he produced a pink corsage, which he secured gently to her wrist. Edward was steaming. It should've been _him_ making her blush like that. And even though a corsage was childish and reminiscent of high school prom, it should have been _him_ sliding the pink flower onto her wrist. Her eyes never left his.

"Edward," Victoria insisted.

Suddenly, a large woman stepped in front of Bella, blocking her from view, and dropping him squarely back into reality. Bella was across the room and he was sitting at the bar, moping.

"Just stay out of my way," he said in a low, dangerous voice to the red-haired woman. He pushed away from the bar, and began weaving his way through people. A soft song was coming on, and he was going to dance with Bella, Jacob Black be damned.

"Excuse me," said a heavy french accent over the microphone. Edward didn't stop. He wondered when all of these damn people had arrived at the ball, they sure weren't in his way earlier.

"Excuse me, everyone, may I have your attention?"

It was Madame Babineaux. Edward didn't care. He had one goal in mind.

"Thank you so much all for coming tonight," Babineaux continued in a heavy accent. "The Babineaux dance company truly appreciates much of your…_comment dis __soutiens? Ah, oui. _We appreciate much of your supports."

There was polite applause. Edward was close now, he could see Bella's dress.

"But there is one donor in special who I want to thank tonight. He is making our west coast tour possible. He has planned every stop, every transportation, every sleeping, every detail and he has paid for it all. He will even be traveling with us!"

Edward was standing before her now, looking into her eyes. They were browner than he remembered. He wanted to touch her, but his hands were trembling. He swallowed.

"Bella," he said softly.

"Everybody please applause Monsieur Edward Masen!"

The look in Bella's eyes disappeared. A hard coldness replaced them.

"You?" she hissed as hands patted him on the back and urged him towards the stage.

"Bella, I can explain, I -"

"This is a new low," she hissed, her cheeks turning pink with the heat of her anger. "Fuck you, Edward. Fuck you."

Hands pushed him towards the stage. Bella's name died on his lips as he walked numbly up the stairs.

"Voici Monsieur Masen, the most generous and kind man! Handsome too, _pas-vrai_? His wife is lucky to have him! Merci a vous, Monsieur. Merci beaucoup!"

The crowd gave him a rousing applause.

He couldn't hear a thing over the beating of his heart and the murderous look in Bella's eye.

* * *

**Ah jeeze. Sometimes things don't work out the way we plan, eh?**


	14. Roughly Begin

**A/N: I don't live on the west coast and I don't know any of the highways, streets, roadways, or general geography other than what estimates I get off of google. Basically, all of the names of streets, highways, roadways, interstates, parkways, etc., are made up by me for the purpose of use in this sorry and I apologize to all my west coast readers, but I hope you can look over it and continue on this journey with Bella and Edward. bizu.**

Chapter 14: **Roughly Begin**

**Bella's POV**

Bella's worn black TOMs kicked away a stray pebble, and then settled themselves against the ground again. They were covered in a fine layer of dust, as was everything and everyone around them. There was dust in every crevice of Bella's clothes, on every inch of skin, in her mouth and in her hair. She didn't know what was more uncomfortable: the sun beating down on them, the sheen of sweat that made her skin sticky, or the damned dust.

They were in the middle of nowhere, as far as Bella could tell. She had heard someone say that they were on Route 12, but that didn't mean anything to Bella. All she knew was that she was hot, she was cranky, and one of their vans had broken down, so the whole troupe had been forced to halt. Right in the middle of the desert.

"God," Jessica said, coming up to her and sucking on a bottle of water. "There's literally nobody around for like, miles."

Bella made a noncommittal sound and kicked another pebble. The dancers were milling around in various states of discomfort. No one spoke, except for the murmurs between Edward and Madame Babineaux behind the second van.

Edward.

That was another thing that Bella could add to her list of things that made her uncomfortable. Apparently, he had funded and helped to plan this entire trip.

"Yet, he couldn't get us a damned working van," she muttered. Jessica glanced at her and took another swing from her bottle.

"Aw, give him a break," she replied to Bella's musing. "He's doing an awful lot for us. Your husband is pretty amazing. Have I told you how lucky you are? You're _so_ lucky."

Bella wanted to retort that Edward wasn't her husband anymore, but then she remembered the divorce papers she had left hidden in the bottom of a drawer at Rosalie's house. She glared at Edward's back. Even in these disgusting conditions, he still looked good enough to eat, and even when she wasn't looking at him, she was always aware of him. The damned magnetic attraction.

"Mesdames," Madame Babineaux called, clapping her hands to draw the dancers' attentions to her.

"The original plan was to travel to the first lodging in Portland, but as you can see, that plan will not come to, eh…" she trailed off as she tried to find the english equivalent to the word she had in mind.

"We're not going to make it," one of the dancers offered.

"Yes," Madame Babineaux continued. "We are not going to make it _au cause de_ this van. Anyway, monsieur Edward suggest that we take a small break in, eh, _comment_?" she asked, turning to Edward.

"Centralia," Edward replied. "We're very close. There's a gas station about a mile from here. We'll stop there to see if we can fix up this van, and then we'll sleep overnight in Centralia." He turned to Babineaux. She clapped her hands again briskly.

"Yes. Now, what we will do is all of you must enter the van that is working. One will help Edward get the broken van to the station, and the others will drive ahead with me. Mademoiselle Isabella?"

Bella's head jerked up.

"You will help Edward, yes?"

Bella swallowed but didn't reply.

"_D'accord. Allons-y!_" Madame Babineaux clapped her hands briskly, and the dancers began the work of grabbing their bags from the second van and piling themselves into the first van.

"You're so lucky," Jessica said to her as she watched the other girls climb into the vehicle. "You won't be sharing sweat with twelve other people."

Bella laughed at the mournful look on her friend's face, and watched as she, too, squeezed herself into the van. Madame Babineaux approached her. The large woman was dressed in draping purples and greens and wore a large turban on her head. She alone seemed to be free of dust and sweat, and as she drew near to Bella, she even smelled clean. Bella resisted groaning in jealousy.

"It may not be my place to say, mademoiselle," the woman said in a quiet voice when she had drawn near to Bella. "But you should hold on to your husband. Being alone is not…eh, that is to say, being alone is not good. I would have done anything to keep Monsieur Pierselle, but I had been too proud."

Bella bit her lip and dropped her gaze. Madame Babineaux rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Do not make the same mistake I did," she advised gently, before whirring away and getting into the passenger side of the van. A lucky male dancer had claimed the drivers seat, and as soon as Babineaux's door closed, the van pulled away, disappearing quickly in a cloud of dust. Bella sighed and looked over at Edward who was talking animatedly with someone on the phone.

"Yes, a party of sixteen," Edward emphasized. "How many people can your rooms hold comfortably? Three? Well then divide sixteen by three and book us that many number of rooms!"

Bella glanced under the hood of the van and cringed. She had no idea what any of those parts were, so she was at a loss for how she was supposed to help.

"You're charging _how much_ for one night? Come on, isn't that a little bit much?" Edward demanded. He was pulling at his hair. He looked tortured. "You have to admit that is an exorbitant amount for a one night say. Especially considering the amenities!"

Bella sighed and looked down at her TOMs again, anything to keep from looking at the man before her, clad in a white cotton t-shirt and cargo shorts, looking more relaxed than she had seen him in five years.

Five whole years. She bit her lip. Five years flushed down the drain in one year and a half.

"That sounds a hell of a lot better than your first offer. Room service is included, I assume?" Edward demanded, pacing and yanking at his hair.

Bella smiled to herself. That was typical Edward. Always pushing the envelope, always demanding more for less. It's what made him so good at what he did.

Edward hung up, and turned to Bella, arms akimbo. He gave her a hesitant smile. A peace offering. They hadn't spoken since the charity ball.

"The van is dead," Edward said after a moment. He looked at the parts under the hood. "Won't start up."

"So what do you need me to do?" Bella asked. She was momentarily surprised at how cordial her voice was. By the look on Edward's face, he was too.

"Uh, I'm going to put her in neutral, and I'll have to push her to the gas station. I'm going to need you to steer, though."

Bella shrugged. That seemed simple enough.

"You're going to push the car for a mile?" she suddenly asked. "Why don't you just call a tow truck?"

Edward looked up at the sky and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"The gas station doesn't have a truck available, and the nearest truck is eight hours away. I figure I can push it a mile in less than eight hours." He grinned at her, but Bella wasn't reassured. Still, she climbed into the driver's seat and put the car in neutral.

It was slow going, and Bella was constantly looking in the rearview mirror to check on Edward. He would take occasional breaks when the road dipped a little and jogged behind the car until it slowed to a stop again. Then he would lean up against the car, plant his hands firmly against the base and push with a grimace. By the time they reached the gas station, his shirt was soaked through with sweat, and the sun was setting. Bella climbed out and resisted the urge to run over to him and run her hands over his body to make sure that all was well.

He quickly explained his situation to the onsite mechanic, and they threw around a few terms that Bella didn't understand. The mechanic, seeing how profusely Edward was sweating, offered Edward a bottle of water, which Edward downed quickly. The mechanics fixed up the van quickly, and assured Edward that it would endure until Portland and beyond, and then Edward and Bella were off.

Bella had forgotten how it felt to be driven by Edward. He drove quickly, but with precision, and with one hand on the wheel and the other on the gearshift even when he drove an automatic. Bella had always liked how he looked at ease in the driver's seat, legs slightly spread, and forearms taut. She gritted her teeth and stared out of the window. They rode in silence until they came to Centralia.

By the time they had come to the hotel, all of the dancers had chosen their own rooms and were now in various states of enjoyment. Some had decided to catch up on sleep, others were lounging around the small pool, and still others had disappeared to find the bar. When Bella and Edward finally walked into the lobby, a few dancers applauded them and invited them to join the circle. Edward and Bella both politely declined, being fatigued, and went to the front desk to pick up their key.

"The Masen party?" the petite blonde behind the desk asked, speaking exclusively to Edward. Bella rolled her eyes. Edward nodded.

"Great," the woman said, typing something in and then scanning two sets of keys. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you." She beamed, revealing two deep dimples on either side of her cheeks.

"Uh, thanks.." Edward peered at her name tag. "Diane." The blonde named Diane beamed again, and Edward and Bella picked up their duffels and headed for the elevators.

Bella wouldn't admit it, but the silence was bothering her. She kept hoping that Edward would open his mouth and say something - anything to her. She had grown accustomed to living in silence in the past year and a half, but somehow she felt that Edward wasn't entitled to his silence anymore. She glanced down at her room key, and followed Edward down the hall. He stopped at a door and scanned his key. It clicked open.

"What are you doing?" Bella demanded, immediately incensed. Edward looked over at her and she fought the wave of emotion that threatened to overcome her. He looked completely and utterly beat down and fatigued.

"Going into my room…" he replied.

"This is my room," Bella said, but the bite had left her voice. Edward glanced down at his key, then up again at his door.

"No, I'm pretty sure this is my room. Besides, you just saw me scan in."

Bella stared at the numbers on her key, then at the ones nailed to the door. This had to be a joke.

"Are you joking?" Bella demanded, narrowing her eyes. "Did you plan this?"

Edward stared at her for a long moment. His shoulders were sagging.

"Yes, Isabella. Yes, I planned this in the time that you watched me push the goddamned van a mile, and then drive the rest of the way to Centralia."

Bella was taken aback. He hadn't spoken to her that way in a _long_ time. He sighed and suddenly looked defeated.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said. "I'm just really tired. This is a twin bed room. We'll only be here for tonight." Bella opened her mouth to argue, but closed it when she noticed the darkening beneath his eyes. Silent, she entered the room. Edward followed her and closed the door behind him.

When Bella got out of the shower, she dressed quickly in night clothes before making her way to her bed. A lone figure on the balcony of their room caught her eye. Before she could stop herself or even register what she was doing, she padded to the door, and slipped out onto the balcony. The balcony was small, so there wasn't much space between her and Edward. His large frame was leaning on the railing, looking out into the darkness. He smelled good, like freshly ironed linen and soap. She closed her eyes. She could feel the heat radiating off of him. She missed him so much, though he stood right beside her. She missed the feel of his skin against hers, of his lips in her hair, of being able to wrap herself around him and touch him whenever she pleased. She swallowed and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and tried to ignore the ache in her chest to the best of her ability.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Sleep wouldn't come easy," he replied. He gave a dry laugh. "It hasn't been coming easy for a while now."

Isabella was silent. The moon looked larger here. She could hear the soft splashes of the dancers in the pool below her.

"Edward," she said softly. "What are we doing?"

The silence seemed to stretch and yawn between them, making itself uncomfortably known. Bella suddenly wished she had never asked, but something in her kept her from taking the question back.

"When I first met you," Edward said suddenly. "I had just broken up with one girl, a blonde, and I was working on getting with a redhead. Victoria. That's how I thought about these things."

"And I was the brunette," Bella volunteered, giving a weak laugh.

"No, Bella," Edward replied firmly, seriously. In the darkness, his green gaze was heavy on hers. "Not you. Never you."

He sighed and turned his gaze back to the night sky.

"I'm not good at this, Bella," he said in a voice that sounded agitated, anguished. "I've never cared about anyone as much as I care about you. Blondes, brunettes, redheads, raven-haired, tall, skinny, leggy. They were just girls, things to get, things to own, things to do. They were people, I see that now. But I see that because I see you. When I look at you and imagine a guy thinking about you the way I thought about Tanya or Victoria, I get so angry, Bella. You're not just a girl, you're not a brunette, you're…you're everything, Bella. You're everything. Even if I lose it all, the business, our home, the cars, I'll still have it all because I'll have you. But losing you, Bella? What does any of it mean if you're not there with me?"

Bella couldn't breathe. Her heart was pounding so quickly, she could barely hear Edward over it. Even in the weak moonlight, she could see the depth of sincerity in his eyes. She couldn't speak, couldn't move. He looked away again.

"I guess what I'm trying to say," he said slowly, winding down. "Is that I'm not good at this wine and dine stuff. You know that. But if that's what you need me to do, then that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to be whatever you need me to be. I'm going to try, Bella. I can't let you go without having tried. There'll never be anyone to replace you if you go."

"Edward," Bella finally gasped, tears escaping her eyes faster than her fingers could brush them away. He looked back down at her. Silently, he straightened his figure, and slowly, he enveloped her, pressing her to his chest. They stood intertwined for a long while before Bella pulled away from him. He lingered for a moment before returning to his position against the railing.

"Good night, Edward," Bella said softly, turning to reenter the room.

It was long after midnight before Edward finally left his spot on the balcony.

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